Important Insignificance
by swirlheart
Summary: It's here!  Sequel to Eternal Frivolity  Nathan and the others are back, this time to help Ichigo. Some Arrancars have been lurking around and we all know what that means. But will this end up with Ichigo becoming the enemy once again? Plz Read & Review!
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything but the three Arrancars, Nathan, Rosalia, Sashiro and the father that's barely there. Bleach and all it's characters aside from my OCs belong to Tite Kubo. I do not claim to own anything. Just a fnafiction made for fun. Can't make this clearer without a foghorn.

**Insignificant Importance **

**Chapter 1:**

Things had been pretty quiet around Karakura Town. This was something a certain orange-haired teen liked. Ichigo liked it when things were peaceful. That meant that there was nothing for him to worry about. He could relax, something that he missed. Ever since he had become a Soul Reaper, there was less time for him to sit around and do nothing. But there was nothing wrong with being active. And at least he was doing something worth while. His job was to protect people, something he desired from the time he became a big brother.

But now things were pretty calm. Calm to the point of being boring. But he should be grateful for this short-lived time of monotonous boredom. It meant that it was about to end and that he was about to be thrown into yet another headache.

Ichigo stepped through the front door of his house, greeted his younger sisters and went straight to his room. Halfway up the staircase, he heard Yuzu call to him, asking him about what they should have for dinner. He told her to pick and continued on his way.

Once in the safety of his closed bedroom, he tossed his bag down and started to get out of his uniform. As he removed his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt, he heard voices. He stopped and looked around. That didn't sound like Kon. Couldn't be. He was still in Ichigo's pocket. Multiple voices were coming from the inside of his room. Somewhere. He turned. Nothing behind him. He turned again. Nothing near his desk. He got down on all four and pressed his ear to the floor. Nothing under his bed but dust and magazines and an old baseball he forgot that he had. He straightened up. Where was it coming from?

"Shut up!"

"You're on my leg!"

"I'm not on your leg, so be quiet!"

"As soon as you get off my leg!"

"Shut up, the both of you!"

"Ow! Quit pulling my hair!"

"I'm not!"

"Ow… Ow..! Ow!"

"Shh!"

"Sorry… I…"

"Ouch! That hurt, you idiot!"

"I didn't mean to-"

"Stop it!"

"Quit pushing me!"

Ichigo turned his attention to his closet. He knew those voices anywhere.

"I'm not pushing you!"

"Shut up! Someone will hear you!"

"The last thing we need is someone coming up here and discovering us."

"Then tell him to move!"

"I'm sorry, but could you..?"

"Ow! My hair again!"

"Then cut it if it's such a pain in the ass!"

"No! I would never cut off my beautiful hair any sooner than I'd give up drinking!"

"Hitsugaya was right about you…"

"Oh, shut up, baldy!"

"Ow! My back is killing me! One of you has to get off!"

"I'm not on you!"

"Um… Please… Someone's-"

"Ow! Stop pushing!"

"I'm not pushing!"

"Quit it before you-"

The closet door flew open and five people came tumbling out. How so many of them managed to fit in his tiny closet was beyond him but now he had other problems to deal with. Ichigo looked down at the group on the floor. "What the hell's going on here?"

Rangiku sat up first, holding her head. "See? I told you he'd be here soon enough. We didn't need to go searching."

Ikkaku got up next. "Dammit! You nearly broke my back!"

"Don't look at me. Yumichika was the one sitting on you."

Said Soul Reaper crawled out from under Ikkaku's leg, trying to fix his hair. "This was not the beautiful turn out I was hoping for… And I was the one under you, Rangiku, so don't give me that!"

Rukia stood up out of the pile brushing herself off. "Honestly… Ichigo, we need to talk to you."

"I'll say! Why the hell were you all in my closet?"

"We didn't want your family finding us. A few of us happen to be in gigais in case you haven't noticed." She pointed to her school uniform.

Ichigo looked at the others on the floor and couldn't help but notice that they were all still in their Soul Reaper uniforms. "A few? I only see you…"

"Ow…" A tiny voice came from under the pile of tangled bodies.

Rukia smiled. "Ichigo, I think you remember this face pretty well."

Everyone moved, allowing the body underneath to be revealed. A thin man with golden locks and pale skin emerged from under the others on his stomach, rubbing his head. He turned his deep blue eyes up toward Ichigo. "Hey, long time no see, Ichigo."

"Nathan!" Ichigo's face lit up. He hadn't meant to show that much emotion, but it had been so long since the two had seen each other that he couldn't help it. "It's been a while. How have you been? I see you still have that accent."

He shrugged sheepishly as Ichigo helped him to his feet. "It's rather hard to get rid of. I've been alright, I suppose."

Ichigo looked down at the ring on Nathan's finger. He grinned. "How's she doing?"

Nathan blush. "Oh… Alright, I suppose. She's ok. She's fine. Great, actually."

Same old Nathan.

"Ichigo." It was Rukia this time. "I hate to break this little reunion up so soon, but we really should talk."

"Oh, yeah. So what's up?" He took a seat on his bed. Nathan sat at his feet like a dog to his master. Still a servant even in the smallest of ways. He still didn't think that he was worthy enough to sit beside Ichigo as an equal.

"First of all, have you noticed anything strange around here lately?"

"No. It's all been quiet. Why?"

"Well," Rukia went on. "Just a little while ago, Nathan contacted us at the Soul Society stating that he witnessed a couple of Arrancars near his home. Tell him what you told us, Nathan."

At once, he grew nervous. "Oh. Well, I… Uh… I wasn't sure what they were at first. I mean, they looked almost human. Well, 'humanish'… They were very white and had on masks, but they walked like normal people. I only saw them through the trees outside my home. But they looked very much the way Rodger did just before his full transformation."

"Those sound like Arrancars to me. What else?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. They vanished straight after that. I didn't see where they went."

Rukia looked back at Ichigo. "We think they're planning something. Why else would they be so close to the Seireitei? But the last time something like this happened, they came here. We don't know what they want, but it never hurts to be cautious. Which is why we're here. The Head Captain ordered us to come here and make sure that things were alright. Hitsugaya couldn't come and Renji is off on a mission of his own, otherwise, it's like the old team's back together."

Rangiku saluted. "I'm standing in for Hitsugaya and these two had to come along because they're always first to be dispatched into battle. And Rukia's here because she's familiar with the area, knows you pretty well and is a skilled fighter. Nathan's here mostly because of him being an eye witness. That and when he heard about where we were going, he insisted on coming along to see you again."

"N- not that I had to! I- I- I just wanted t- to…" His face was all red again. "I mean I miss you and all, but I mostly wanted… I- I wanted to… I don't know…"

"It's fine, Nathan. I'm glad to have you." Ichigo's words calmed Nathan and he smiled up at him in a grateful way.

"We're going to be hanging around the area for a few days to see if anything happens. If things are uneventful for a week, we go home. That's the mission."

Rangiku leaned into Ichigo's face. "In the meantime, is it ok if we stay here with you?"

Her bubbly attitude didn't go over well with Ichigo. "Like the last time you asked me that, I don't have room for all of you. Find somewhere else."

She pouted. "That's fine. I have to do a little shopping anyway while we're waiting for something to happen. See you guys later!" Rangiku was off in a flash.

Ikkaku and Yumichika got up and left out the window without a word to the others.

Rukia and Nathan were the only ones left now. Rukia turned to the window. "I should really have a look around before it gets too late. But it's cool if I stay in your closet again, right, Ichigo?"

"I-"

"Great, thanks!" She jumped out the window before anything else could be said.

"Hey!" Ichigo stuck his head out the window, but she was already gone. "Damn…"

Nathan stood behind him silently. When Ichigo turned back to him, he took a step back. "I don't suppose there's room here for me as well since your closet is already taken up by Miss Rukia."

He sighed. He couldn't help but take pity on him somehow. Then again, Nathan was an old friend. Why shouldn't he stay? "We'll figure out something. There's space on the floor-"

There was a quiet knock and then Yuzu came in wearing an apron. "Are you ok in here, Ichigo? I thought I heard-" She saw Nathan and stopped. Nathan stared back, apparently forgetting that she could see him in his gigai. "Oh, you have company? Who is this?"

"Uh…" Nathan turned to him in a panic. He didn't except to be caught like this.

"Um… This… is… my friend."

"Oh? Really? A friend?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I've never seen him before."

"Uh…" He thought quick. "Uh, he's from out of town. He was living here for a little while then moved to be closer to his family and now he's back to… visit me."

"Oh." Yuzu smiled. "Hi, I'm Yuzu. Ichigo's little sister."

He smiled back. "I'm Nathan." He bent over and kissed the back of her hand. Just like a gentleman.

She started blushing. "Wow..! Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Um…" He looked at Ichigo, unsure.

"He'd love to," Ichigo answered for him.

"Great!"

Yuzu started out the door when Nathan called out instinctively, "Would you like some help?"

She stopped and poked her head back in. "Oh? Uh, sure. If you want to." She hurried off.

Ichigo stood beside Nathan and gave him a sideward glance. "You cook?"

He avoided his gaze. "Uh… little. Maybe. Perhaps…"

X

Ichigo came downstairs an hour later and discovered Nathan dressed in an apron too small for his tall body and wearing a pair of oven mitts. He smiled sheepishly at Ichigo. He stared at Nathan for a while and sat down at the table across from Karin.

"You know, it's not polite to make the guest work, sis," Karin said coolly.

"I know, but he insisted. And he was a big help in the kitchen with me. It would have taken longer without his help. Thanks a lot, Nathan."

"Oh, you're welcome…" His cheeks were still red.

Ichigo leaned back in his seat.

Dinner was finally served and it was a little different tonight. Meatloaf with gravy, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. It wasn't the traditional Japanese meals Yuzu usually cooked up, but it smelled wonderful and looked great.

"Dad's working late tonight so you can have his seat," Yuzu offered Nathan. He removed his borrowed apron and took his seat, thanking her.

"What's with the tie and suit?" Karin asked, noticing his well-dressed gigai.

"Oh." He looked down. "It's, uh…"

"So how was school today, guys?" Ichigo changed the subject.

"Great, actually!" Yuzu started talking about her day and what a good grade she got on a surprise quiz in math. Karin didn't say much, but she did mention how hard she had kicked a soccer ball that nearly tore a hole in the net. Ichigo told her how impressed he was and that earned him a smile from his sister. "So, Nathan, you have family somewhere else? What are they like?"

His hand paused in the middle of picking up his chopsticks. Actually, he had been struggling with them for a while now. He wasn't familiar with Japanese culinary or table manners. Up until this point, he had just been mimicking what everyone else was doing. When he didn't lift his bowl of rice up to his chin, Ichigo silently gestured for him to do so. This was all so foreign to him. But now that he had been asked a question, this gave him a good opportunity to stop fumbling with his chopsticks and speak.

"Oh. Yes, uh… What would you like to know?"

"Well, where are they from? Where are you from?"

"Um, England."

"Thank explains the accent," Karin smirked.

Yuzu was very interested. "Oh, wow! That's so far away. What's it like there? Do you live in an apartment or in a house like us? What are your customs?"

"Uh…" Nathan's eyes shifted back and forth. It was true that he had lived in England for some time and was born there, but that was over 100 years ago. So much had changed in that time. Still, he tried his best to answer while being truthful. "I was, um… adopted into a well-off family and raised under their roof. Their ways were different from what I was used to, but I adjusted. And, um… They lived in a big house."

"Big? How big? Was it like a mansion?"

"Uh, yes, actually. They were very rich."

Yuzu's eyes sparkled. "Oh, wow! Then that means that you had servants and all that stuff, right?"

"Oh, yes… But since I wasn't born into their family, I didn't have the same rights as they did. But I was allowed the food from their table and a room of my own with a comfortable bed to sleep in. I was happy there."

"Was?"

His eyes darted once again. "Oh. Yes. We, er, moved. It's a smaller place now, but very nice."

"Who do you live with?"

"My… wife, her father and another boy." Nathan looked down at the ring on his finger with a little smile.

Yuzu was squealing with joy. "Oh, how wonderful! You must be so happy! What's your wife like? Please tell me."

His face was blushing once again. "She's… beautiful." Nathan couldn't hide his smile. "She loves the color pink and adores pink roses. They're her favorite. We used to get food shipped special from Japan to our house. She discovered how much she liked sushi and always wanted to have it after that. She also likes sweets. I know she likes chocolate covered strawberries. The chefs made them for her everyday. She never got sick of them. And she's so… free-spirited. She was given rules to follow in order to maintain an image, but she always had to slip out of that loop. She's all about having fun. In a sense, she's never grown up. Every time I look at her, I still see the child who begged to take me in…"

"Ohh!" Yuzu's eyes were dancing and her cheeks were turning pink. "Such a romantic story! I can tell you really love her with all your heart! How wonderful!"

Karin didn't look impressed. "I don't know. And what exactly do you mean by 'take you in'? Was that some-"

"Karin, pass the rice!" Ichigo shoved his bowl in front of her face, cutting her off.

As she filled the bowl, Yuzu kept asking Nathan a whole bunch of questions. He looked like a trapped rat at the mercy of a hungry cat. But his good nature forced him to answer anything she threw at him.

"So…" Ichigo lifted his bowl to his face, ready to dig in. "Got anything for dessert?"

Yuzu jumped up. "Oh, yes! That's right!" She ran to the counter and held up a chocolate cake. "Nathan helped me make it. But I decorated it. See?" The frosting was done in a flower design with different fruits carefully placed to form a heart on the surface.

"Very nice. It looks so good, I almost feel bad cutting into it." Ichigo handed Yuzu a knife. "But chocolate is chocolate. Let's dig in."

"But you're still eat-"

Ichigo swallowed the rest of his rice and handed her the empty bowl. "Done."

"Great! Then let's-"

A thunderous boom sounded and in an instant, Yuzu was lost in a cloud of smoke and shattered glass. Ichigo could hear her scream but couldn't see her. Ichigo sprang to his feet as the table went airborne.

"Yuzu!" Karin was tangled up in her broken chair, cast backwards by the sudden blast. Worried for her twin, she scrambled to her feet. "Yuzu?"

"Yuzu, are you ok?"

"Yuzu!"

As the smoke cleared, they could make out two bodies on the floor. One was Yuzu and the other, strewn over her tiny body, was Nathan. Shielding her with his body the same way he had Rosalia so many years ago to save her, Nathan had taken the brunt of the blast. The back of his suit was torn to shreds and he was covered in glass and debris. As he peeled himself off of her, Yuzu emerged unscathed. But the meticulously made cake was beyond repair, smeared all over the kitchen floor.

Nathan helped her to her feet, still blocking her from the gaping hole in the wall with his body. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" She tried to peek over his shoulder. "What was that?"

Karin rushed to her sister's side, checking her for injury. She was fine.

But without the wall, there was nothing to support the rest of the ceiling from coming down. A few chunks were already starting to fall.

"You two, go to the other side of the house! It's not safe here!" Ichigo reached into his pocket and took out something small, round and green. He swallowed Kon and changed at once. "Take care of my sisters, Kon."

Cast into the situation, unaware of what was going on, Kon stuttered and looked around. "But, what's-?"

"Just take them to the other side of the house and keep them safe!" Ichigo climbed over the broken table and glass out the hole in the wall. Kon took Ichigo's sisters under his arms and ushered them to the other side of the house, far away from the damaged kitchen.

Ichigo stepped out into the street, looking around. There was nothing here. He could always lie and tell his sisters that it was a car crash, but he knew what it really was. Now he just had to find it. He scanned the street, searching.

"Come out and show yourself!" he shouted to the crisp night air. "I know you're here! Come on out!"

He was answered with car horns in the distance and crickets chirping nearby. A flickering street light buzzed above his head. This wasn't what he was looking for.

"You could have killed my sister! Your attack nearly hit them both! Damn it, look what you did to my house! I'm not taking this sitting down. Now show yourself! Coward!"

There was cackling above his head and he knew at once that this was the one responsible. He turned his head upward and saw someone tall snake out of the shadows. Dressed all in white came a man with a crescent moon shaped mask over his forehead. He kept a sword at his waist with a bronze handle and no guard. He moved into the light, allowing Ichigo to view his freckled face more clearly.

"Soul Reaper…" He smirked. "I am Cercenar."

Ichigo knew what he was even before he had seen his mask. "You're an Arrancar."

He chuckled. "Yes, indeed I am."

"What's your number?"

"Now why would you need to know that? It's just a number. Unlike the others, I don't take pride in my rank."

Ichigo smirked. "High number, huh?"

That struck a nerve with him. "Don't speak as if it's a bad thing! Higher number doesn't always mean weakness. And if you want proof of my strength, then bring it!"

"Gladly. I owe you for smashing my house." Ichigo grabbed his sword and got ready.

"That was a mistake." The Arrancar moved swiftly down to where Ichigo stood, having yet to reach is weapon. "I was merely trying to find something I've been searching for. I figured it might be here. After all, I can feel it in my bones."

"What? Looking for what?"

"Like you care." Cercenar struck, bringing his hand down like a battle ax upon Ichigo's sword.

Ichigo defended himself, sliding back from the force. This guy was strong, but he wasn't very quick. That gave Ichigo the edge. Ichigo threw him back with a thrust of his sword and charged. The Arrancar moved to the side just in time. He held up his hand as if to fire a cero. Ichigo didn't let him. He swung his sword and almost chopped off the man's hand.

"I know you're hiding it, Soul Reaper!" Cercenar said as he flipped through the air like an autumn leaf. "Just show me it! That's all I came here for. I'm not here to fight you."

"Well, since I have no idea what you're talking about…" He jumped up into the air, riding on the wind. "I see no reason why I can't just finish you off for wrecking my house!"

Cercenar ducked as the sword sailed over where his head had been moments ago. He frowned at him. "Touchy."

Ichigo looked around. He was still too close to his house and the other neighbors to use any more powerful attacks. He couldn't risk it. Which meant he had to defeat him at the level he was at now or take this fight further away.

"Ichigo!"

He looked down and saw Nathan standing below him on the sidewalk. "What are you doing here? Get back inside!" Nathan was defenseless and an open target. He could be easily killed by a stray attack at this range.

"Ichigo, look out! Above you!"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked up just in time to see a black cero coming at his head. He flashed away just in time.

"Gotcha!" The Arrancar slammed into him with his boney shoulder and plowed him into a building.

Lucky for him, it was only a garage and no one was inside. He pushed aside a child's bike and some tools and climbed out through the newly made hole. He looked around and saw the Arrancar standing in front of Nathan.

"Like hell!" Ichigo hurried.

The Arrancar looked Nathan over carefully. "Now who are you? You don't look like any Soul Reaper I've seen and you certainly aren't human. So what are you exactly?"

Nathan was too scared to move. He had never been this close to an Arrancar before. "I'm… just a soul… in a gigai…"

"That's it?" He started laughing. "Then you aren't worth my time." He raised his hand.

At that moment, Ichigo slammed into him and smashed him to the street. "Nathan, I told you to get out of here!" Ichigo kept his sword on the enemy as he spoke.

"But I can't let you fight alone! He's powerful!"

"Yeah, but I've faced worse."

Cercenar climbed out of the hole formed from the attack and put his hand on his own weapon. "I'll kill you, you son of a…" He suddenly stopped and shot a look down at his wrist. He scoffed and looked back at Ichigo and Nathan. "We'll have to finish this some other time."

He vanished.

"Hey, wait!" It was too late by the time Ichigo got those words out. He was already gone. Ichigo then turned his attention back to Nathan. "You idiot! I told you to stay inside! What if an attack hit you? You could have been killed!"

"And so could you!"

"Nathan, I've been trained to handle these kinds of things. You haven't. I don't want to see you get hurt. The last time something like this had happened, I wasn't able to save you!"

Back the first time they had met, Ichigo had failed to protect Nathan at least twice. Once when Ukitake was possessed and choked him half to death, and the other during their final fight against Rodger when he was impaled by Rodger's horns. Nathan was almost dead. But Ichigo managed to save him from the brink of death by allowing Nathan to feed off of his Spirit Energy in order to sustain himself until he could be healed. Ichigo couldn't let that happen again on his behalf.

"But you were facing off against a powerful Arrancar. I couldn't let you face him by yourself."

"But what if the worst should happen? You were half dead the last time something like this happened. You didn't see the look on Rosalia's face when she thought you were gone. And that was before it had time to fully sink in. Don't be so quick to throw yourself into danger in order to help me. I can handle myself. That guy wasn't that strong."

"Maybe not. But what about the other one? What if he had shown up?"

"What other one?"

Nathan gave a quick look around as if he excepted him to show up at that moment. "When I informed the Soul Society about the sighting, I told them that I saw at least two of them. Ichigo, you were only aware of one. What if the second had shown up and tried a sneak attack? I was trying to keep a look out for him in case he showed up while you were busy. While you fought, I would be the eyes in the back of your head to warn you in case something happened."

Ichigo stopped and gave a soft sigh. "Then thanks for watching my back. But next time-"

"Ichigo!" Rukia ran down the street over to them. "What happened here?"

"Some Arrancar smashed into my house and nearly killed my sister!"

Rukia looked at the hole in the wall. "Right here?"

"Well, duh! How could you miss it?" Ichigo pointed to the ten foot high hole exposing his whole kitchen to the outside world. Glass and wood was everywhere and half the kitchen counter was missing. Rubble was still falling from the ceiling in small fragments and puffs of dust.

"I'm just saying!" Rukia took out her phone. "I have to notify the Captain at once about this. In the meantime, we were right to come here. Looks like they're targeting something here in the World of the Living."

"Yeah, that guy did say something about it. Any idea what it is?"

"Not a clue." She didn't look at him. "In the meantime, you should go check on your family. Make sure they're alright. And Nathan, you stay close to Ichigo, ok?"

"Sure thing."

* * *

Please review! More Arrancars to come! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2:

Ichigo went back into his body and helped clean up the kitchen. Yuzu insisted on doing it herself since she handled all the cleaning, but Ichigo pitched in, telling her that he didn't want her to get hurt on the shards of glass. Unbeknownst to him, Nathan was already cleaning up. Still dressed in his torn suit, Nathan had rolled up his sleeves and set to work, hand-cleaning the disaster of a kitchen.

"Don't do that," Ichigo told him. "You'll cut your hand."

Nathan looked at the large piece of glass in his hand. "It's fine. This faux body of mine is awfully resilient. I should have been hurt a lot worse than I was, actually."

Ichigo watched as he continued to clean the kitchen. He handed him a trashcan. "You don't have to do that, you know."

Nathan gave him a sideward glance before chuckling softly. "It was my duty back when I was alive. I suppose old habits die hard."

"But I thought you were just her playmate, not a slave."

"No. I was sold as a slave. But I was taken in and made her constant companion. However, I was still a servant."

Ichigo tried to remember some of the memories he had gotten from Nathan back when they were temporarily linked. After Nathan had sucked out some of his Spirit Energy, he had gotten some of Nathan's memories in return. They flashed into his mind whenever he had lost consciousness and was able to see into Nathan's past. He remembered how the other servants had treated him. The chefs especially were very cruel to him. Only one maid ever stuck up for him, but even she had to admit that he got in the way and did more harm than good.

"But didn't you have any of the same rights as the rest of the family? I mean, you were taken in, weren't you?"

Nathan gave a little smile. "It was… complicated. You see, I was Rosalia's playmate, but at the same time, a servant. I was given a roof over my head and allowed the food from their table. I was given my own space with a bed to call my own. But I was still a servant, at their beck and call. I was still a coworker, therefore, I wasn't allowed to use the servants for my own needs the way that they could. The family was allowed to command them, but not me."

That was a complicated relationship, Ichigo had to admit. To be a guest as well as a servant in the home. It must have been hard to place him in the household. Where do you draw the line between the two things? Allowed to be at their table and have his own bedroom like a guest, but at the same time he was also expected to do as he was told like any other servant and given chores to do. How do you place a guy who was both? The two were incompatible.

And yet, that's exactly what Nathan was. He was expected to carry out the orders given to him while living as an almost equal. Maybe even that was a bit of a stretch.

Ichigo helped Nathan to overturn the smashed table and throw it out into the yard. Together, they stuffed as much debris as possible into trash bags and left them out on the curb for pickup. Only one chair was salvageable. Nathan's and Yuzu's were smashed beyond recognition and Karin's had two missing legs and a crooked back. They needed a whole new kitchen set now.

Nathan got down on his knees to pick up the remaining shards of glass in the crevices between the floor tiles with his fingers. "Hang on, don't do that."

Nathan stopped. "Why not? We can't get them with a broom. I was taught to get it with my hand if a broom wouldn't do."

"Yeah, but there's been an invention in the last century that makes it a whole lot easier. Hold on." Ichigo went to the closet and took out the vacuum.

Nathan looked at the strange device and watched as Ichigo plugged it in. "What is that thing?"

"This?" Ichigo held up the hose attachment. "It's called a vacuum cleaner."

"A… vacuum cleaner?" That's right. Nathan had never seen one before. They hadn't been invented yet during his time alive.

"It sucks up the things you can't get at with a broom. Watch."

Ichigo flipped it on and at once, a loud whirling filled the room. Nathan jumped onto the countertop as if the device were an attack dog and watched wide-eyed as Ichigo cleaned the floor. He pushed the instrument across the floor with one hand while keeping the cord back with the other. Once every part of the floor was cleaned, Ichigo shut it off. The vacuum shut down with a quiet whirl and sat on the floor motionless. Slowly, Nathan climbed off the counter and gave the device a nervous look.

"Relax, it's not going to bite you."

Nonetheless, Nathan cautiously approached the strange object and gave it a curious look. He very slowly reached out and gave it a small poke. "It's still warm."

Ichigo smiled. Nathan was like an ignorant child. "It makes cleaning a lot easier, I'll tell you that. Wanna try it?"

Nathan jumped away, shaking his head. He was a little scared of it.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu and Karin had appeared at the base of the stairs. "Did I just hear the vacuum?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We were just cleaning up. Now we can walk through here without getting stuck with something sharp."

Yuzu hurried over to where Ichigo stood. "You cleaned?"

"I can do it, too. Nathan helped me out a little."

Nathan pointed to the vacuum proudly. "Ichigo used the vacuum!"

Yuzu held up a mop. "I'll get washing!"

Ichigo tried to stop her, but it was pointless to try. Karin got her sister a bucket and Nathan grabbed a soft brush and started to scrub on his hands and knees. Once they were done, the floor was shining like new.

Karin pointed out Nathan's back, remarking how cut up it was. Concerned for their guest, the two girls pulled him into the living room and removed his coat and shirt. His injuries weren't that bad, actually. The gigai he was in must have been reinforced or something in order to protect him.

"Oh, my..!" Yuzu was looking at Nathan's back.

Ichigo moved behind him to get a better look at what she was seeing.

"How'd that happen?" Karin asked.

There were multiple scars across Nathan's back. Some were irregular and others were easily identified as the result of a riding crop and a hot iron of some sort. Seeing these injuries weighed heavy on Ichigo's chest and made him so angry. He knew what these were. These were Nathan's first master's punishments for making mistakes. When he said that he was beaten every day, he meant it.

"It's nothing. Just something from a long time ago." Nathan lowered his head and his back stiffened. These were the marks of a clumsy slave with a cruel master.

Ichigo's sisters cleaned and bandaged his back and gave him one of Ichigo's clean shirts to wear until Yuzu could sew up his torn jacket.

The two were still a bit shaken from the sudden attack, so Ichigo stayed with them in the living room and watched a little TV until their father returned home. Nathan and Ichigo managed to convince the two that the blast was the result of a car crash, but the driver didn't stick around.

It was after 10:00 when their father finally returned home to find a gaping hole in his kitchen and a stranger in his living room. At once, he rushed over to his girls and embraced them. Then he turned to Ichigo. "What the hell happened here?"

"Nothing. Just a driver smashed into the kitchen and drove off. No big deal."

"We're ok, daddy." Yuzu pointed to the chair. "Nathan saved me!"

"Who did?" He turned around and saw Nathan spring to his feet. He bowed low with a hand over his heart.

"Sorry, sir. My name is Nathan, sir. Please forgive the unexpected intrusion on my part. I should have announced myself sooner."

Isshin looked him up and down. "Wow." He looked at Ichigo. "See, boy. Now _that's_ how you talk respectfully to your elders."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Give me a…"

"So, you saved my sweet little Yuzu, huh?"

Nathan shrugged. "I didn't really… I mean, I didn't do that much… I just sort of threw myself on top of her when that blast hit. She didn't get hurt so I-"

Isshin grabbed him and pulled him into his arms in an extremely tight bear hug. "That's my boy! Oh, words cannot express how grateful I am to you for protecting her! Clearly I haven't been raising Ichigo hard enough. That's his job. Welcome to the family, Nathan, my boy!"

"Come on, dad!" Karin butted in. "Don't you think you're being a little over the top? How dramatic can you get?"

Nathan's face disappeared in their father's chest as the hug grew tighter.

"Hey, old man, you're crushing him!" Ichigo pried his father's arms off from around Nathan and pulled him away. "Dammit, you'll kill him like that! He can't breathe!"

Nathan gasped for air and cracked his neck back into place. "Thank you for your gratitude, sir…"

X

After being told their part of the story and informing him that Nathan had nowhere to spend the night, Isshin had to let him stay over. He wheeled a cot into Ichigo's room and drew a bath for him. Nathan wasn't used to being treated this way and wasn't sure how to react. No one had ever drawn a bath for him and he was very grateful for the cot. That meant that he didn't have to sleep in the closet again. He barrowed some of Ichigo's clothes for that evening while his were washed and mended.

As they settled down, Rukia came in through the window and went straight into the closet. Ichigo looked at her. "Well?"

She looked up. "Well what?"

"Any word on that Arrancar?"

She shook her head. "No. He got away. But I'm sure Nathan's told you that there are at least two of them out there, right? My guess is that's where he disappeared to in such a hurry. He must have gotten word from his partner to retreat."

Ichigo thought back and remembered something. "Yeah, that makes sense. Just before he ran off, the guy looked at his wrist and then scrambled off."

"That must have been his partner calling him to fall back." She tucked her pager away. "But I got word back from the Soul Society to stay here and keep a look out in case they return and if possible find out what they were looking for."

"Then what are you doing here?"

She shot him a look. "I'm here to rest. I scanned everything within a four block radius of your house for the past couple hours. Your family's safe. I doubt they'll be coming back tonight now that they know we're looking for them. Rangiku and the others are searching everywhere else while I stay here and catch up on some rest. Don't worry. We've got this covered."

"The last time you said that, my sister nearly got killed," he muttered under his breath. Secretly, he was mostly angry with himself for not being able to protect her and relaying on Nathan to do it in his place. If only he didn't suck at detecting Spirit Pressure…

"Good night, you guys," Rukia said closing the sliding door.

"'Night," Ichigo pulled the covers over his shoulder.

"Good night, Miss Rukia," Nathan called to her through the door.

Ichigo turned to look at him. "You don't have to call her that, you know."

"It's a term of respect that's been drilled into my head from childhood. And I haven't been asked to stop yet."

"Whatever." Ichigo rolled over. "'Night."

"Good night."

X

Ichigo woke up unusually early that following morning. The sun was just barely beginning to rise. A dark 5:30 morning sky flowed into Ichigo's bedroom through an open window giving it a peaceful and drowsy feeling. This was the time before day when Ichigo debated between going back to sleep or getting up early. Everything was still quiet. There was just enough dim morning light to make out parts of his bedroom. The closet was still shut tight with Rukia still sleeping inside. On the cot next to his bed was a slumbering Nathan, sprawled out and tangled in his blanket. Ichigo watched him sleep for another minute before falling back asleep himself.

Two hours later, his sisters woke him up by calling through the door. He stretched and sat up. Nathan was still sleeping soundly, now laying on his stomach, one hand under his pillow, the other tucked under his chest. Ichigo nudged him awake and helped him detangle himself from his blanket. They allowed Rukia to sleep in a little longer and went down for some breakfast.

"Good morning… Ichigo!" Isshin came down from the ceiling and onto his son's head.

"You stupid old man!"

"Good morning, Ichigo! Hi, Nathan!" Yuzu pointed them into the living room to eat on account of the unlivable kitchen. "Hope you don't mind having eggs and toast for breakfast. I couldn't really…"

"That's fine." Karin opened a cupboard to get a plate, door snapping off its hinges. "Great."

Nathan took his seat quietly and waited to be served. "Are you sure there isn't anything that I could do?"

"Nope, we're fine." Karin pointed to the hole in the wall covered up by a very large sheet of plastic. "Unless you wanna help us pay for that, that is."

"Karin!" Yuzu scolded.

"I was just kidding."

After they ate, Ichigo took Nathan out to see the town. And this time, it was for fun. The last time he did this, they were looking for his lost mistress. And this time, Nathan could experience things from a living point of view thanks to his gigai. Ichigo took him down the road and into town. He took him to the park and on a walk through a pedestrian mall. Nathan looked at everything in shop windows with wide eyes and an open mouth. Such things that were unheard of 100 years ago were now displayed in shop windows and along the sidewalk. So many things he had never seen before were now within reach. He was like a kid in a candy store.

"What's this thing?" he asked, pointing to an object Ichigo saw just about everyday.

This wasn't the first time he had been asked this by someone from the Soul Society. And yet, he couldn't help but chuckle. "That's a vending machine."

Nathan looked back at the multicolored plastic and metal rectangle with a curious look on his face. "What's it do? What's it used for?"

"It dispenses drinks. This one does anyway. There are others that have food in them and other stuff." Ichigo dug around in his pocket for some change. "Wanna try it?"

Nathan moved away from the machine. "I… I don't know. Should I..?"

"Don't worry about it." He started putting in the money. "Ever have soda before?"

Nathan blinked. "Soda?"

"Come on, you haven't heard of it before?"

"Well, I have. It was a new product that come out around my time. But I was never given it. It was a rich person's drink. Rosalia's father could afford it, but they never had it around the house. I've never tasted it before."

"Then you have to." Ichigo selected the drink he wanted and it popped out of the machine with a clang. He picked it up and held it out for Nathan. "Here you go."

Nathan took it in both hands and stared at it. He turned it onto its side and upside-down then right side up. "How exactly do I open it?"

"Here." Ichigo took it and popped the top, handing it back to him. "You like oranges, right?"

"Yes, well enough."

"Then drink. It's orange soda."

Nathan gave the can a nervous look before lifting it up to his lips. Very slowly he took a drink. He shut his eyes and pulled it away.

"Well? Like it?"

Nathan blinked a couple of time. "It's so… so…"

"Carbonated?"

"Yes. The bubbles tickled my nose. But it tastes like a very sweet orange juice."

"Like it?"

Nathan belched and his cheeks turned red. "Pardon me."

"Yeah, it'll do that."

Nathan smiled. "I rather like it. The drink, that is."

Ichigo smiled back.

Nathan clutched the drink in both hand, staring at it. His smile was still there, but it had become a bittersweet one. "I…" He broke off as if debating his next words. "I'm really glad I could be here. Thank you for showing me this."

Ichigo put a hand on his hip. "You know, you could stay here a little longer. I can show you more things."

"You don't have to bother. I don't belong in this world anymore so why should I know about the things today? It's pointless."

Ichigo looked at him for a while before speaking. "I just wanted you to enjoy yourself a little. I mean, I know what you've been through. I've seen it, I've helped you through it. And you've been through a lot more than I realized. I had no idea about the scars on your back."

Nathan cast his eyes down to the ground. "Funny, actually. He wanted to leave an impression on me. I say he succeeded. And I remember what each one of them were for. The one on the small of my back was for dropping the milk. It came in glass bottles back then. He hit me with a switch. The one over my shoulder is from when I went to get firewood and tripped on the rug coming in and got dirt and wood shavings everywhere. He took a metal rod from the fireplace and beat me with it. It was hot and burned through my shirt. With him as my master, I remember each and everyone of my mistakes. All of them left scars, just not all are visible. They're a constant reminder of how imperfect I am."

The look in his eyes told Ichigo that he was in real pain. It never went away. But he didn't pity him. He felt sorry for him, of course, but that wasn't why he wanted to treat Nathan to a good time. He knew that he deserved one. Ichigo was about to speak again, but Nathan cut him off before he even started.

"I know that you have seen through my eyes before. You've been in my memories. And I know that you've seen what Rosalia was like back then. I know that you thought of her as a brat. But understand that for someone like me, that was a welcomed change. For someone who was cursed at night and day and always told how useless he was, her command of 'now' was like a chorus of angels to me. I'd much rather hear that than 'remove your shirt for punishment, you useless cur'. Compared to that old life, how can I not see her in a celestial light?"

Ichigo put his wallet away in his back pocket as he answered. "I wasn't going to call you foolish for loving her. I know I've seen her in such a way, but I never doubted for one second that she was a good person at heart. After all, she did save you, didn't she? And the way she cried for you when she thought you were dead meant that she really and truly loved you and that you always had a special place in her heart."

Nathan ran a finger over his ring with a tender smile.

"I'm very glad that she's your wife now. You were made for each other."

"Thanks, Ichi-"

"Move!" Ichigo managed to pull Nathan clear of a surprise attack from above. It was another cero. This one was red and yellow.

"Where is it?"

"What?" Ichigo and Nathan looked up from behind the smashed soda machine and up at a new Arrancar.

The man was dressed in a white formfitting robe with an orange sash and had a Hollow mask on top of his head like a pair of horns. His pointed chin and wily yet vicious eyes made him look like a humanoid fox.

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo shouted up at him.

"I am Raposa. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki."

The Arrancar sneered. "Hm. Soul Reaper, huh?" He drew his sword. "Let's see about that!"

Ichigo only had an instant to make his move. In one thrust, he threw Nathan into an alley while taking out his Soul Badge.

Raposa cracked his sword out like a whip with enough force to cause the ground to tremble. It sent a shockwave down to where the two were standing moments ago. The attack was like a bomb, causing a massive dust cloud to form upon impact. Raposa peered into the dust cloud, waiting. When the dust settled, Ichigo was knelt with his sword standing before him like a shield, protecting himself and Nathan.

Nathan sat on the ground with Ichigo's empty body in his lap, wedged between a couple of trashcans.

"Stay here and take care of my body." Ichigo grabbed his weapon and jumped into the air, on the attack.

Their blades clashed. Raposa held his in one hand while Ichigo pressed against his with both hands. They sprang apart and attacked again. They clashed five different times before Raposa fired off another cero. Ichigo ducked and let it pass over his head into the sky. Then he dove straight down, sword pointed forward.

"Too slow!" Raposa unleashed yet another cero, but this one was more like a whip. It crashed against Ichigo's sword, slicing into his forearm. The mist of blood that grazed his skin was like a slap in the face. He could feel it dripping down his chin, put he had no time to wipe it off. Raposa was attacking again, never giving him a chance.

Raposa plowed into Ichigo like a battering-ram and into the side of a building. The concrete wall shattered, sending a tremor throughout the structure. Ichigo tasted blood.

_This guy's good_, he thought, staring into his light green eyes. _The other guy was tough, but he was slow. He couldn't even keep up with my normal speed. He was all brute force. This guy's powerful, but he's also fast. He's a lot faster than that other guy. But I've seen better_.

Ichigo pushed against his sword and threw him into the air.

He sighed as if disappointed but his lips unveiled a smile revealing an opposite reaction. Raposa raised his sword again. But Ichigo didn't give him the chance. Ichigo managed to graze his shoulder just before the attack. Raposa turned and slashed at Ichigo's back. He missed and Ichigo was on the offensive. He charged in the air straight at him. He didn't have time to get out of the way, so he chose to block. Their blades hit was incredible force. Ichigo half expected his sword to snap clean in half. The air trembled enough from the impact to rustle his hair. Even Raposa felt the impact of the defensive attack. Despite the blade never touching him, his hand was all cut up as if he had been cut by a razor.

He cursed Ichigo and slammed into him. Ichigo skidded in the air for a few yards then came to a stop, just in time to see Raposa's sword coming at his face. He held up his own weapon and blocked. It hit was much more force than he had thought. With blood streaming from his mouth, his long body twisted in the air as he crashed through a metal guardrail before slamming into the ground.

Nathan, watching from the sidelines, called out to him. "Ichigo!"

That was nothing.

Ichigo zoomed out of the dust cloud and, using it as a veil, went straight for his enemy.

But Raposa was waiting for him. He held his sword like a baseball bat, ready to swing and slice Ichigo clean in half. Anticipating this, Ichigo flashed away at the last possible second. As he left Raposa bewildered, he made his next move. He came around behind him and got ready to swing.

But now it was Raposa's turn to fake. He leapt into the air and came down on his chin with his right knee, forcing him backward. Ichigo spat out more blood and looked up. His opponent was gone.

Then he sensed something. A large mass was rushing towards him. It was the vending machine from before. Just before it tackled Ichigo, he twisted his body backwards in the air like a high jump, clearing it by mere inches. It sailed under him harmlessly. Completing a full loop, Ichigo was on his feet less than a second before he had to dodge yet again from another attack. Raposa filled the space where the machine had been, continuing its path straight at Ichigo. Ichigo twisted his body to block the next attack. To his surprise, Raposa wasn't attacking with his sword, but his bare hand.

He pushed Ichigo's sword aside with the back of his hand and got up in Ichigo's face. "Stop trying to hide it and just hand it over!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about!"

He grabbed a fistful of Ichigo's hair and pulled him in. "Don't lie to me!" He smashed his forehead against Ichigo's. "Stop playing games with me and give me what I came here for!"

"You mean an ass-kicking, because in that case I'm willing to give!" Ichigo kicked him in the stomach and threw him aside.

Raposa dug his heels into the air to stop himself and growled at Ichigo. "I had no intention of fighting a Soul Reaper if I could help it. But I see I have no choice but to beat the answers out of you. Clearly you're hiding it. Keeping it safe."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know damn well, you moron!"

Ichigo honestly had no idea what he was saying. Hiding what? From who? Why?

Raposa sprang into the air and headed straight for him. "If you value your life, you'll tell me!"

By the time Ichigo had raised his weapon, the Arrancar was gone again. He looked around. He was nowhere to be found. "What the hell..?"

"Ichigo!" It was Nathan from the ground below. He was pointing over Ichigo's left shoulder. "Above you!"

Ichigo turned around with his blade out and heard a deafening clash as it made contact. Taken by surprise, the Arrancar met Ichigo's block with wide, hatful eyes. He looked down at the man on the ground beneath them.

"Damn that interfering twit!" He looked back at Ichigo. "Just tell me where it is!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Didn't you hear me the first time? Now who's the moron?"

They sprang apart once more. They stared each other down. Then Raposa's eyes fell to Nathan once more.

"He isn't a Soul Reaper, is he?"

Ichigo didn't take his eyes off him when he answered. "No."

Raposa narrowed his eyes at him. "Then there's no need for him. I'd better finish him before he has a chance to stop me again. I have no use for this boy since he isn't involved in anyway. He's just a nuisance."

Ichigo wouldn't let him. Before Raposa could move, Ichigo attacked. Their weapons clashed again and again. Finally fed up, Raposa jumped over Ichigo's next attack and got him from behind.

"Ichigo!"

Nathan's warning came too late this time. The Arrancar smashed into Ichigo's back with the force of his entire body behind it. Ichigo was sent careening down towards the ground, Raposa following after him, looking to finish him off after he landed.

Ichigo didn't have a lot of time. He opened an eye to look for something to help himself. To his left, he found it.

To stop the fall, Ichigo reach out and grabbed onto a flagpole as he passed by. Using the momentum from the impact, Ichigo turned his body into a horizontal pendulum and extended his legs for a powerful kick. Caught off guard by the sudden change in direction, Raposa locked eyes with Ichigo for only an instant before his legs made contact with the small of his back and sent him down in the path Ichigo had been traveling. He crashed into the ground with a boom.

Ichigo still had enough momentum going to circle the pole four more times before finally coming to a stop. He stood on the ground over the spot where Raposa had landed. There was no sound other than the cracking of concrete and the falling of stones. Then he saw a silhouette shift and rise up behind the veil of smock and debris.

With a loud battle cry, Raposa charged. Ichigo took a step back to prepare himself for the impact.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

The two stopped mid-attack.

"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

A large ice circle formed around Raposa's feet, intending him as her target. The circle began to freeze the ground. To escape the attack, Raposa jumped into the air, but was chased by an extending pillar of light and ice. Raposa's body was quickly encased in ice, freezing him in his current position.

Rukia stepped out from nowhere and over to Ichigo. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah."

She stood in front of the ice pillar with a stern look. "He isn't dead yet. Then again, I wasn't really trying to kill him."

"What? Why not?"

"Because of what he said. Remember?" She turned to him. "He said that he was looking for something. We have no idea what it is but he seems to think that we do for some reason. Which is why we should take him back to the Soul Society for questioning. We need to figure out what it is that he's looking for. The other one must have been looking for the same thing as well, meaning that whatever this is spells bad news for us. Anything more than one Arrancar wants can't be good."

"So then it's true."

They both jumped aside as the ice shattered, freeing its prisoner. Raposa came out and stood above them in the air. He looked beat up, but mostly very pissed off. He looked as if he had just been banished from his home by total strangers. He clenched his fists and turned up his nose, looking down on them.

"If not even a real Soul Reaper knows, then it must not be here in this world. And we were so close, too. But you can't fool me and tell me that you're not protecting it. Maybe not you, but the rest of them are. I know you are. We found it so close to the Seireitei, therefore you must be keeping it safe."

"What is this thing you're searching for?" Rukia asked. "And what do you want it for?"

"That bastard Aizen didn't put you up to this, did he?" Ichigo remarked.

To his surprise, Raposa shot him a death glare. "Why in hell would I care about anything that bastard has to say? I no longer follow his command! Why would I after banishing me from the Espada?"

"Espada..?"

"Yes!" Raposa held his sword out over his head proudly as he declaired, "I was Espada number 9!"

"You were… the ninth?" Rukia was more surprised than Ichigo this time around.

"Yes, until that two headed freak in a jar had to show up and bested me. Aizen said that he had more skill than I did so I was out. They mocked me, saying how I could always be his Fracción, but I refuse to be a subservient slave to anyone who took away my spot on the Espada!"

"I thought they killed anyone who they thought were-"

"Don't you see? I ran away before that could happen! I knew he was going to kill me. Maybe not in front of Aizen, but he would. Before I could let that happen, I ran off. I took two other Arrancars with me and fled. They were happy to come. Now they can be my Fracción." He turned his head to the side. "Of course… at our levels and my current position, I'm not really fit to call myself boss. We each have our own skills so… Why the hell does it matter? I'm here now, aren't I? What more do you need to know?"

"What this object is that you're looking for? And why would the Soul Society have it in their possession?"

"You tell me." Raposa snapped his fingers and began to open up a Garganta. "In the meantime, I'll return to my humble little desert cave I call home. You can thank Aizen for that dried up little hovel."

As he started to leave, Rukia tried to follow after him. "Stop!"

But there was no way they could capture him here and now. Not like this. And he knew it.

Raposa turned and waved as the portal closed. "Later."

It closed before anything could be done.

They stood there in silence.

Then Rukia pulled out here phone and started to page. "I've got to report this. By the way, How's Nathan? Is he with you still? Did the Arrancar threaten him?"

"He…"

Ichigo started thinking. Why hadn't he seen it before? Now it was becoming clear to him. All of it. But he didn't want to think like that. And yet…

"Rukia."

"Huh?" She kept pushing buttons.

"By any chance… would you be using Nathan in all of this?"

She stopped. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She didn't face him.

And that was all Ichigo needed to understand.

"Now I get it."

"Get what?"

"The real reason why you allowed Nathan to come here. Why you put him with me and told me to take him out, to look after him. All this time I thought… but you were really…"

She turned around. "What are you saying?"

"It was no coincidance that those Arrancars attacked while I was with Nathan, was it? And the real reason why he was allowed to come here. They normally don't allow souls to do that. And why you want me with him. Why you want me to keep an eye on him and why you just happened to show up at just the right moment. You were there watching the whole time, weren't you?"

Rukia bit her lip and turned her back on him, typing more buttons. Ichigo stood behind her, breathing down her neck.

"You're using him as bait, aren't you?"

She stopped. She stood there in silence. Then she lowered the phone. "Ichigo-"

"Aren't you?"

The tone in Ichigo's voice shook her about as much as he himself was shaken.

She avoided his eyes as she spoke. "It wasn't my call. The Head Captain thought that if the Arrancars only appeared to him that he might have something to do with all this. He wanted to test it. He allowed us to bring Nathan here and told us to report if the Arrancars showed up again with him present."

"But he's not involved with them and he's not the thing they're looking for." Ichigo pointed in the direction Raposa had gone. "That last guy looked right at him and tried to kill him saying that he was useless to them. And that first guy was up in his face and said nothing about anything! It's not Nathan!"

"We had to be sure. Like I said, it wasn't my decision. But don't you think it's weird that so far they've only shown up whenever Nathan was nearby? Or is that just a coincidence?"

"It could be. But there's something else you've overlooking, Rukia. I've been here every time they've attacked, too. How do you know I'm not the one they're after? Besides, they said that they're looking for 'it'. The last time I checked, Nathan was a who not an it."

"Ichigo-"

"No!" Ichigo pulled away from her disappointed and angry. "I can't belive you would put his life in danger just to see if he was involved with them in some way. How could you guys do this to him? Hasn't he been through enough? And what if he was involved somehow? Then what? Would you have him scarificed or kill him or what? I can't believe this!"

Ichigo turned around, facing away from Rukia. This was a lot to let sink in. What else were they not telling him?

"Ichigo…" Rukia's tone had softened and he felt her at his back, inches away. He heard her sigh. "That's not the only reason why I placed him in your care."

It was another minute before she continued.

"After the konso was properly preformed, Nathan lost all his powers."

Ichigo turned around. "What?"

"All the powers he once had during his inbetween state. The power to steal away someone's Spirit Energy, possession, everything. Rosalia and Sashiro are the same way. They lost everything. They're just normal souls now, meaning that they're vulnerable. He won't be able to defend himself at all now. He's useless in a fight."

Ichigo looked down at Nathan in the alley. He was still sitting on the ground with Ichigo's empty body in his lap. He was brushing off all the broken glass and dirt from his back and hair. He was cradling his body in a secure and gentle way as if caring for a child.

"Funny," Ichigo muttered. "That's the word everyone keeps calling him."

He flashed over to where Nathan was positioned and stood over him. Nathan stood up in a hurry causing Ichigo's body to slide off his lap and onto the ground, smashing his head on the sidewalk.

"Eh… Sorry about that." Nathan chuckled nervously and picked up his body again, brushing it off.

"That's fine. I'll get it."

Nathan held out his body like a large stuffed animal and Ichigo slipped it back on. Ichigo brushed off the dirt from his chest and ushered Nathan out.

"We'd better get going before there's a scene."

"Agreed."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

"We're back!" Ichigo called from the front door of his home.

Yuzu rushed to greet him. "Welcome back, Ichigo. Hi, Nathan." She hugged him around the middle.

Nathan was a little startled by this but placed a hand on her head in return.

"What's up?" Karin said from the hallway.

"Hello, ICHIGO!" Isshin came flying out of nowhere and tried to put his son in a headlock.

Ichigo effortlessly moved aside, still pumped up from the earlier attack. "Knock it off, you idiot. We have company."

His father turned around and put an arm around Nathan in a tight one-armed hug. "Who's the son I never had doing? Did Ichigo show you the town? How you feelin'? Hungry? I just got off the phone with a contractor. He'll be here in the morning. I told him it was an emergency. So, want something to eat?"

"Uh…"

"Dad always comes on a little strong," Karin told him.

Ichigo pulled his father off the young man and pushed him away. "Stop that."

His father jumped on him. "Oh-ho? Are you ordering your father around in front of a guest? How rude! I've taught you better than that, haven't I?" He proceeded to kick Ichigo in the stomach.

"You stupid old man!" Ichigo pounced and the two began their daily fight.

Nathan moved aside as the fight continued down the hall, Yuzu chasing after them. He looked at Karin. "Does this happen a lot?"

"Every day." She put her back against the wall with a bored expression. "You'll get used to it."

There was a crash followed by Ichigo yelling, "Oh, now you've done it!" and another crash sounded.

Nathan looked in the direction they had gone with a vacant expression. "It just seems odd to me."

"Oh?" Karin chuckled. "Don't you ever fight with your old man?"

Nathan looked down, a sudden look of sadness on his face. "Well… we never did see eye to eye on things… But we never fought. In fact, he never spoke more than two words to me. I was a disappointment to him."

Karin looked across the room and then back at him. "You have any siblings?"

"Yes, two older sisters and a baby brother."

"How old are they?"

"Um…" Nathan thought back over a hundred years to the last time he had seen them alive. "My oldest sister is about nine years older than I am and my other sister is seven years older. And I'm nine years older than my baby brother."

"Huh, four kids, hm?"

"Yes."

Karin looked at his legs and then back up at his face. "What about your mom?"

"Oh." Nathan started to fidget with his sleeves. "Um… Well, she, uh…"

"Was she nice to you?"

"Um… Well… Yeah, I suppose."

"She fed you?"

"Yes."

"Gave you a bed to sleep in?"

"Y- yes." Though it was more of a sack of straw on the floor, he considered it a bed.

"Did she ever hug you?"

That Nathan had difficulty answering. "Well… no."

"Did she ever tell you that she was proud of you?"

"… No."

"Did she ever say that she loved you?"

"No."

Karin looked at the ceiling. "Sounds to me like she didn't really love you that much."

Nathan didn't argue. There was nothing to defend.

"Is that how you got all those scars on your back?"

Nathan's head picked up. "Uh, er, no. No, not from… No."

"Then how?"

"I got those…" He couldn't tell her the truth, but he hated lying. But he thought of a way to explain it without revealing where he was really from. "… from a man who adopted me."

"He hit you?"

"… Yes. Every time I made a mistake. I was with him for a few months before I was taken into another home. This one was much better. They were rich, but I wasn't. But as long as I did chores and behaved, I was allowed many of the things that they had. I was never beaten once in that home." His cheeks turned pink. "And it was while I was in that home, that I found the woman I love. It was many years later when I realized just how much I cared about her."

Karin smiled. "Glad things worked out for you in the end."

"Moron!"

Another crash sounded down the hall and the two looked up in the direction of the noise. The trio was out of sight, but they knew exactly what was happening. Yuzu was still trying to stop the fighting.

"Stop it, you two! We don't need anything else broken!"

X

After everything was calm, Nathan went upstairs to Ichigo's room for a short rest. It was quite some first day for him. And now a second one on top of that. These attacks were no problem for someone like Ichigo who was used to it, but for Nathan, it was very taxing. He went over to the cot and sat down.

"Hey."

He jumped to his feet at Ichigo's voice.

"Relax. It's just me." Ichigo closed the door behind him and moved closer to the man standing in the middle of his bedroom. "You know, I don't mind you taking a nap on my bed if the cot's too hard on your back. I only use it at night. We'll switch back then, cool?"

Nathan just stood there looking at him.

"What's wrong?"

Again, Nathan said nothing.

Ichigo moved closer and sat on the cot. Still standing, Nathan had to look down now to see Ichigo's face. Not used to looking down on someone like this, Nathan sat on the edge of the bed. Now they were at eyes level again.

They said nothing for a while.

"You know…" Ichigo put his hands on his knees, leaning forward slightly. "My sister's really starting to like you. I think Yuzu liked you before when you first met, but now she's getting closer to you since you saved her life."

"I didn't save anyone's life, Ichigo. All I did was sit next to her and threw myself over her body when the attack happened. I don't think she would have died from something like that. She would have gotten hurt, sure, but not killed."

"Either way, my family's grateful to you. Plus she likes having someone in the kitchen with her."

"I can't cook very well, if at all. I was never taught. Sashiro knows more than I do since he was raised to be a chef. He's not there yet and on account of his age, he's treated more like another servant than a cook. If he were here, he would have been a bigger help to her."

"He's with Rosalia now, isn't he?"

"Yes. Along with her father. He likes to do a little traveling around the village and often goes out with friends. He's very happy."

It took Ichigo a little longer to speak again, wondering whether or not he should say the next thing on his mind. He decided to anyway. "My family thinks you should come around more often. You could even visit Kisuke once in a while. I told him that you guys were ok once I found out where you were. He's happy for you."

Nathan shrugged. "I don't think I'm allowed to visit. I was lucky to come here at all, I think. I don't know why I was given permission in the first place."

To hide what he already knew. Ichigo just sat back with a sigh. "Who knows? Maybe it's because we owe you or something."

"… Say, Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

The response Nathan gave was slow in coming. His face didn't reveal any change, but his voice had the inflection of someone in pain. He looked down, hiding his eyes from Ichigo. "Nothing."

Outside the window, Ruika stood listening to their conversation. Her chest felt tight when she thought about what Ichigo had told her. The thought of using Nathan as bait for the Arrancars didn't go over well with her either, but she was in no place to question her orders. She wasn't too surprised by Ichigo's reaction, either. He was always someone who cared deeply for his friends. She had seen it time and again. After he and Uryu had fought together for the first time, he had made an attempt to foster a friendship with him the next day in school by inviting him to eat lunch with them, even though a few of them were against it. He even went through great lengths to become good friends with Chad as well. Who else would fight so hard against so many bullies to retrieve a classmate's coin? No one but Ichigo. And she couldn't think of anyone else who would go so far to save one person the way he did for her. He was the one who wanted to save her even when she had told him not to. He went anyway. He never gave up, even when most people would have. He even organized a team to go after Orihime and bring her back, even after she was branded a traitor by the Head Captain.

That was just the type of person Ichigo was. Even going against orders from the Head Captain himself multiple times for the sake of his friends. Even for strangers. Nathan was no different. He was just another friend who needed help. Just someone else he had to look after and protect.

X

It was dinner time and without a useable kitchen, Yuzu decided to order a pizza for them to eat. Ichigo went upstairs to check on Nathan. He found him still asleep on his bed where he had left him. He really needed a nap after these past few days and Ichigo knew that. And having a nice soft bed to sleep in was much better for his back. Ichigo sat down on the edge of the bed and put his hand on Nathan's shoulder.

"Nathan."

He opened his eyes. "Hm?"

"We're going to have dinner. Want to join us?"

He gave a sleepy nod and stretched. Ichigo moved aside to let him sit up.

"I'm sorry," Nathan murmured. "I must be causing you a bit of trouble."

"Not really. My family likes company. And they like you."

"But aren't I causing you a load of money and making trouble for you in other ways. I've even taken over your bed."

"I lent that to you. And besides, you don't eat that much. I guess back then, things were more scarce and a real hassle. But don't worry about it."

Nathan nodded.

They went downstairs as soon as they heard the doorbell. The smell of fresh hot pizza filled the air. Isshin carried it over to the coffee table in the living room. The top opened unleashing the steam and the smell of sauce and gooey cheese. Nathan stood by the table shyly, peering over everyone's shoulders.

Ichigo handed him a slice. "Pizza. Want some?"

Nathan's stomach growled. He gave the pizza a curious glance. "Pizza?"

He nodded. "You've never had it before?"

He shook his head. "Back at home, we were lucky to have meat. Then at the mansion, we were only given the finest of foods. The only thing we ever ate with our hands were finger sandwiches. We were never given anything greasy or anything like this."

"Then you have to eat it."

Nathan took it in both hands and watched how everyone else was eating it. Then he lifted it to his mouth and took a small bite. Almost at once, his eyes lit up and he started to wolf it down. He licked off his fingers between chews.

Ichigo chuckled at his reaction. "Good, huh?"

"Mm-hmm! It's really, really good!"

"Want some more? We have plenty."

Nathan snatched up another and gobbled it up. Yuzu started to giggle, seeing how taken Nathan was with something they could order everyday if they wanted.

"So you've never ever had pizza before?"

"No," he said between chews. "It's not very common where I come from. Most people have never even heard of it."

While everyone went on eating, Ichigo moved to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. As he did, he noticed someone looking at him through the window. It was Rukia. He opened the window and stuck his head out to whisper to her. "What?"

She moved closer to him. "We've been given permission to return to the Soul Society. Nathan's not the link we were looking for. Ikakku was just attacked by an Arrancar in the park, but it got away."

"Ha! I told you it wasn't him!"

"Either way, we're going back."

"Right now?" Ichigo looked at the clock. "But it's almost nightfall. Can't it wait?"

Rukia looked at her pager and then to the sky. "Oh, fine. I guess it can wait until morning, but no later than that."

X

After a good night's sleep, Ichigo and Nathan set out for the Soul Society. His family was sad to see him go. Yuzu and Isshin especially. They wouldn't let go of him. "Promise to come back soon, ok? We'll miss you!"

Karin gave him a little wave before going into the next room to watch TV. "Have fun at your family thing, ok?"

That was the lie they had fed the family. Ichigo said that he was going with Nathan for the time being because he was invited and couldn't guaranty when he'd be back. But he told them it would be soon.

"Oh, hang on a second!" Yuzu ran to the other side of the room and came rushing back with something in her hands. She handed a small ceramic object in the clumsy shape of a flower. "I made it in art class a little while back but I didn't like how it looked. But I want you to have it as a thank you."

Nathan took it and tucked it inside his coat pocket. "Thank you, Yuzu. Much appreciated."

She smiled and hugged him once more.

X

After everyone had said their goodbyes and met up in the park, the group returned to the Soul Society. They had to report everything to the Head Captain as soon as they got back. However, Ichigo and Nathan weren't allowed in for some reason and had to wait outside. After an hour of waiting, Rukia and the others came out of the office. Ikkaku and Yumichika kept going without a word to anyone else, muttering how the mission was pointless. Rangiku chased after them, asking if they wanted to see the stuff she had gotten on her little shopping spree.

Rukia stood in front of Ichigo and Nathan. "The Head Captain says that he wants you two and a couple other Soul Reapers to go back to the place you saw those Arrancars the first time. He wants to see if there might be anything there that could tell us something about what they want. He says that he has no idea what this 'it' thing is that they're looking for. But it can't spell good news for us if they want it so bad."

Nathan looked at the two nervously. "I… But… The first time I saw them was only for an instant before they vanished from sight and that was only between the trees on the other side of the river. I- I don't think…"

"Relax, there are two other Soul Reapers and Ichigo who are going to be with you. There's nothing to fear."

"Yes, but… That's not…"

Ichigo looked at Rukia. "You're not coming?"

"No. But don't worry. The Soul Reapers who are going with you are good. There shouldn't be any problem."

X

The two Soul Reapers who accompanied them were from Squad 8, but Ichigo didn't recognize them. They led the way back to District 2 where Nathan lived. They walked down the soul filled street dodging children playing with their toys and elderly folk shuffling down the road. Once they got close, Nathan hurried over to the house on the end of the road and pounded on the door.

It opened and out came a boy in dark hair and a red kimono, tackling Nathan on sight. "Yay! You're back! How'd it go?"

Nathan patted his head and sat up on the ground. "Fine. Just fine, Sashiro. How has Rosalia been?"

"Oh, the same. She just missed you, that's all. But she's resting now. Up late last night."

"Worrying about me?" Nathan's face was turning pink again.

"Nah, back pain. She's doing better now, I think. She's asleep."

"Oh." He looked into the house from where he was looking a little disappointed.

"Don't worry!" Sashiro pumped up his muscles. "I can take care of her all by myself!"

"You're here alone with her?"

"Yup. Her dad went to District 1 to play cards with a friend. He just left an hour ago."

"Ahem." One of the Soul Reapers was standing over Nathan looking impatient. "We need to get going if you don't mind."

"Oh, yes. Of course." He stood up with Sashiro's help. "I'll be straight back. I just have to show these gentlemen something. Keep an eye on Rosalia, ok?"

Sashiro saluted. "Sure thing!"

Nathan led the group across a small footbridge to the woods directly across from the village. Ichigo looked over his shoulder. It was dangerously close to their home since they lived right on the end like this. If Arrancars were appearing so close…

"I saw them right here." Nathan pointed out the spot by standing in the location where he had seen them. "There were two Arrancar men standing here and then they moved over here and vanished." He walked about three steps before stopping behind another tree.

The Soul Reapers investigated. But there was nothing to speak of. There wasn't anything there. "They could have opened a Garganta," one Soul Reaper said as he moved behind the same tree from before.

"Sashiro and some of the village children play here often. They know this area fairly well. Perhaps they could be of some assistance."

"But you were the one who saw them, weren't you?"

Nathan nodded nervously. "Yes, but only for an instant. I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you."

"Nathan!"

They turned and saw a young girl hanging her head out the window of Nathan's house. Her short dark hair was done up in a braid and draped over her left shoulder. She was wearing a light lavender kimono with a pink rose design down the left side. It was unmistakably Rosalia. She was waving to them, sticking her upper half out the window.

Nathan waved back. "Hi! I'm back! Ichigo's here, too!"

Rosalia spotted Ichigo and waved even harder. "Ichigo! Hi! Hello, Ichigo! How have you been?"

"Fine!" he called back.

"You have to come over for tea later when you're finished. We have a lot of catching up to do!"

"Over here, you two."

Ichigo and Nathan moved back further into the wooded area. They moved behind more trees to the point where they could no longer see the house. They followed the Soul Reapers until they got to a clearing and stopped. There was a small chasm a few feet ahead. It wasn't very deep and this didn't take Nathan by surprise at all.

"Sashiro told me about this. He told me that the village children each take turns trying to find a way down. They finally found a way on the other side. There's a dip in the side of the chasm wall and they use it as a slide to enter. They said that it's easier to get out than it is to go in."

One Soul Reaper looked down over the edge and then back up. "You feel that?"

The second Soul Reaper nodded. "Yeah." He put a hand on his weapon.

Nathan didn't sense it, but after another moment, Ichigo did as well.

There was a roar and a Hollow appeared at the bottom of the chasm. It wasn't there before. It roared again and tried to leap out of the chasm. It couldn't scale the wall in one leap like it had hoped, so instead it tried to climb up the chasm wall.

"Stay here." The two Soul Reapers jumped and were upon the massive creature at once.

The Hollow tried to snap at them but missed. But its attack forced the two back. They couldn't attack the way they had wanted. Ichigo and Nathan watched from above as the two below jumped and twisted around. Finally after a minute, they each attacked from either side, cutting into the mask in one unified attack. The Hollow's body disintegrated at once and vanished.

They came back up, sheathing their weapons. "That Hollow came out of nowhere."

"Is that normal?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah. Good thing we were here to get rid of it. It was only a matter of time before it found its way out of there."

Something about this didn't sit well with Ichigo. He had a bad feeling in his gut. Something was wrong. "Something's not right."

"How do you figure?"

"A Hollow just happened to show up now in front of three Soul Reapers while we're looking for clues with those Arrancars?"

"I told you, it's common. What are you getting at?"

Nathan sensed it, too. "I agree. I admit that I don't know about this stuff like you do, but…"

"Something is not right."

Before anyone could speak, a voice pierced the air. A shriek of terror.

"Nathan!"

He bolted at his name, running straight back the way they had came. Ichigo and the two Soul Reapers followed. Ichigo had never seen Nathan move that fast before. He stumbled a few times, but never lost his footing. He pushed off of trees and screamed out their names.

"Sashiro! Rosalia!"

He broke through the trees and ran across the bridge. Sashiro was coming out of their house, a gash on his forehead. He ran straight to Nathan and wrapped his arms around him, soaking his jacket in tears. Ichigo and the others finally caught up. The house appeared to be fine, but the wound on the boy's head told them a different story.

"Nathan, I'm sorry!" Sashiro bawled. "I'm sorry!"

Nathan tried to calm him down, though he looked shaken up himself. "Sashiro, are you alright? What happened? Where's Rosalia?"

Sashiro shook his head. "I tried! I really tried! I tried so hard, but..! I'm sorry!"

Nathan gripped his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Sashiro, where is Rosalia?" Nathan's voice was shaking.

Sashiro cried even harder. "I couldn't..! She's..!"

"What happened?" Ichigo hadn't heard Nathan sound like this since he was fighting against Rodger after he had completely Hollowfied. He was filled with fear and anger.

After another loud sob, Sashiro pointed into the house. "They took her!"

Eyes wide, Nathan threw Sashiro into Ichigo and forced his way into his home, shouting her name at the top of his lungs. "Rosalia! Rosalia? Rose! Rose! Rosalia!" They heard him tossing things out of the way as he checked under everything that wasn't nailed down. "Rosalia!"

Sashiro cried into Ichigo's stomach, clenching his hakama in his fists. "Some big guy in a white suit came in and grabbed her! He had some mask thing over his forehead and a sword. I tried to stop him, but he pushed me out of the way. When I tried again, he picked me up and threw me! When I got up, they were gone! I don't know where they went!"

It was that Arrancar from before. It was Cercenar. Ichigo was sure of it. He guided Sashiro into the other Soul Reaper and went in after Nathan.

He found him standing in the middle of their house staring at the back wall, panting. There was a broken chair in the middle of the floor and an overturned table missing two of its legs in a corner. A jagged piece of wood sticking straight up from a pile on the ground had blood on its tip. Ichigo guessed that that was where Sashiro had gotten his injury from. But it was also possible that that was Rosalia's blood as well.

He approached Nathan from behind. "Nathan."

He fell to his knees and bashed his head against the floor. Ichigo moved closer.

"Nathan."

It sounded like a shudder at first, but then it became clear to him. Nathan was crying.

"Nathan… don't."

He pounded the floor with his fist. "What did she ever do to them? Why'd they take her? Why?"

"I… I don't know…" He really didn't and this was just as upsetting for Ichigo as if was for him. Then again, maybe it wasn't. This was his wife, not Ichigo's. Ichigo wasn't in love with her. Nathan was.

"I mean… We were right there! Why? Why couldn't we save her? I… I couldn't protect her! What kind of man am I? I can't even protect the woman I love!"

In that sense, they were both on the same page. They both wanted to protect and failed. Ichigo felt the same way in that sense. They were just a short distance away. They were next-door and couldn't save her. She was taken right under their nose. Knowing such a thing made Ichigo's blood boil with rage, both at himself and at the one who took her.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

He turned and saw the Soul Reapers standing in the doorway.

"That Hollow wasn't by chance. You were right. It was just a distraction. While we were fighting it, they took her. We couldn't hear anything because of the roars and the fight itself."

"I'm sorry about all this. We should have seen it coming." The second Soul Reaper seemed more concerned than the other.

"We have to report this."

Ichigo didn't argue.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

While the two Soul Reapers reported what happened in District 2, Ichigo stayed in the hall with Nathan. He was still very shaken up by the whole thing. He told him that everything was alright, but that didn't offer much comfort.

The two Soul Reapers left the office without speaking to either of them directly. They kept repeating how it all took place right there just a very short distance away and there was nothing that they could do to prevent it from happening. "Did you see their house? That was them toning it down. I've seen what Hollows can do, but these are Arrancars. That girl's finished if they took her."

Though Ichigo was unable to see the look of pain that crossed over his face, he knew what was going on inside his friend. He had half a mind to chase them down and punch each of them in the face for saying something like that in front of Nathan, but held back. That would only start a fight and Nathan was in enough pain as it was.

"Why would they want her?"

Ichigo turned. "Huh?"

Nathan had his head in his arms as he spoke, but Ichigo heard him loud and clear. "Why would they want to take her? She has no ties to them whatsoever. We've never even seen an Arrancar before. Why?"

"That's what we're going to find out."

The door opened and out came someone no one ever wanted to see. Mayuri stepped out with the lieutenant of Squad 1. The creepy captain was pointed over to the two by the wall and he smiled.

"Well, well, well. If this isn't a pleasure!" Mayuri almost ran over to Nathan and brought him to his feet with a huge tug on his sleeve. "Well, I don't believe I've ever been this close to you before. Let me look at you." He started turning Nathan over this way and that, checking him from all angles.

"H- hey, what are you-?" Ichigo's voice was drowned out by the captain's excited murmurs and comments about Nathan's physical form.

At last, the captain tossed him aside with a grunt. "Clearly, you're no different from other souls. How disappointing. You were far more interesting before as a half-spirit."

Nathan stood up with Ichigo's help, now more shaken than he was before.

Mayuri ushered them down the hall. "Come along. I'm going to help you with your questions."

They hesitantly followed him to his lab. Ichigo had never been directly inside his lab before. He had only seen it from the hallway and never had the desire to see it any closer than that. It was dark, dank and creepy. There were horrible smells coming from everywhere and globs of stuff that no one could defy, not even the captain himself. There were beakers and bottles every which way filled with strange colored liquid and God only knew what else.

"Sit up here." Mayuri told Nathan, pointing to a table in the middle of the room. It had leather straps and chains around each of the four corners and around the middle, suggesting it to be some sort of torture device.

Nathan needed a little push by the captain in order to move in that direction. Even Ichigo found it difficult to move. He could face Hollows, but not this captain's lab. It scared the hell out of him. Nathan was told to lay down on the table while Mayuri got his tools. Nathan clenched his pant legs nervously and gave a wide-eyed look around. There were way too many sharp, jagged objects pointed at him for comfort. He gulped.

Mayuri turned around. "Ok, then. I'll just…" His eyes narrowed at the man on the table. "Um… what the hell are you doing?"

"Laying down as you told me."

"I didn't mean in that." Mayuri pointed to Nathan's body. "Take off that gigai before I can do anything. I need the real you."

"Oh." Nathan sat up in a hurry, glad to be off the table. But then he frowned. "Uh… I- I haven't exactly been instructed how to remove the…"

Mayuri shoved Ichigo's Soul Badge into his face and Nathan was pushed out of his faux body. The hollow husk fell to the floor with a thud. The real Nathan stood off to the side wearing a very nice looking blue hakama and matching top. It was different from the kimono he was wearing before the first time Ichigo had seen him when they had crossed over. He looked very handsome.

Without waiting any further, Mayuri shoved Nathan back onto the table. He took out a light and shined it in Nathan's face. "Just relax. This won't hurt a bit."

Nathan still wasn't so sure. But seeing as how Mayuri wasn't hurting him just yet, he started to relax a little. Then Mayuri walked around to the other side of the table and took Nathan's pulse. Then he started to move Nathan's head from side to side in his hand. Nathan's bones cracked a little but that seemed to be what they needed. Mayuri laid a hand over Nathan's chest and told him to breath. He did and Mayuri seemed satisfied.

"Now then," he told them. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm doing all this. It's very simple, really. The Head Captain and I had a little talk and he believes that this 'it' thing may not be an object that's being locked up in a vault somewhere. It's also safe to say that you people have no idea what this thing is that the Arrancars are looking for."

"Clearly…" Ichigo grumbled.

"But the fact that those Arrancars appeared by your home twice, the second time actually planning a distraction and making off with the girl suggests that she was the thing that they were after in the first place. Question is why?"

Nathan didn't speak. His jaw was stiff and his eyes sparkled a little.

"So the Head Captain wanted me to test you out and see why they would be after you."

"But it's Rosalia they took, not myself or Sashiro," Nathan spoke up.

"Yes, but they may not have known that you three were related," Mayuri argued. "Just to test it, I've been asked to run some tests and see what sets you apart from others. It may turn out to be nothing. But at least then we'll know. Even I have no idea what I'm looking for. It may just be her alone, or it may be all of you and they know nothing about it."

Nathan said nothing further.

But now Ichigo had to know something. "What kind of tests are you going to be doing anyway?"

"Nothing major. I just need to take a look inside his body and see his Spirit System."

"His what?"

"Everything inside you that sets you apart from other souls, the living and makes you tick. It includes your Spirit Energy, the flow if it, your Spirit Pressure, Spirit Chain or Ribbon, and other things like blood circulation, bone structure and all that other stuff. Nothing too complicated."

"Oh." Ichigo was a little confused already. "I guess it's nothing major, then…"

"Of course not." Mayuri turned around with a massive saw and protective goggles. "Now hold still."

"Ahh!" Ichigo grabbed Nathan and pulled him off the table just as the tool came crashing down right where his neck had been. "Hey!"

Mayuri looked up innocently. "What?"

"Is there any way you could do all that without cutting him up and maybe killing him?"

The captain sighed. "Fine, we'll do it your way." He tossed the saw over his shoulder where it landed point down in another experiment and pointed to another table. "Over there, you big baby."

This table had the same straps as the other one, only with one massive difference hanging over it: a gigantic bar with lights. It almost looked like a cross between a metal detector and an X-ray. Shaking from head to toe, Nathan laid down once again.

Mayuri came over and fired up the device. "Don't worry. It's just a scanner. Nothing's going to touch you."

Put at ease by his words, Nathan shut his eyes and laid back.

The machine was fired up and a green light started to slowly scan Nathan's body, starting at his feet, up to his head and back down. Mayuri looked at the results on the screen in front of him. "Hmm… Nothing extraordinary here to speak of."

"Nothing?"

"Nope. Nothing. You're good."

Nathan sat up. "Really?" Then he got a worried look on his face. "Then why did they take her? If there's nothing in me that sets me apart from anyone else, then why'd they take her? She should be the same as me, right?"

Mayuri shrugged. "Not now, at least. Back then, you did."

"Huh?"

"Well, when Hitsugaya, Hisagi and all those others who were affected by that little attack thing that was going on, Unohana had to treat them. She found that they all had very low Spirit Energy and something else."

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"Traces of an unknown Spirit Substance."

Ichigo stared at him for a while and then… "What the hell is that? Are you sure you're not just making crap up now?"

"It's a real thing, idiot." Mayuri hopped off the machine and moved over to a large screen on the wall. "A Spirit Substance is what we call a substance we can't define as being anything. Not human or Hollow and certainly not Soul Reaper. It's just something that no one can pinpoint. But it vanished after a while. About the same time it took all those people to return to normal. She had no idea what it was and no one could get it to me to test in time. It was inside their bodies. In their Spirit Canals, as I like to call it from time to time. It's the network that allows the flow of Spirit Energy."

Nathan blinked. "So I left something behind in all the people I bit?"

"Yes." Mayuri typed something in and a chart came up on the screen. "Though I was never able to get a sample of it, I did manage to get the test results of it back from Unohana. I ran a few things on it, tested the data I had and came up with this."

Neither Ichigo or Nathan could decipher the data on the screen and gave Mayuri a funny look.

"Oy…" he rolled his eyes. "In a nutshell… the data concludes that none of you affected by this phenomenon could age or change in any other way. The only thing you needed to continue to survive was Spirit Energy since you lacked the systems needed to produce it which can only occur when your Soul Chain is separated from your body, resulting in death. You three, well four if you count that other guy, never got out of that state of being fully alive or dead. You were trapped between the two worlds, meaning that you didn't have a Soul Chain so no Konso could be preformed and no Spirit Energy of your own. You needed to steal it from other souls in order to keep existing. I'm sure you figured that out at some point."

"No kidding…" Nathan groaned.

"So what does any of this have to do with Rosalia being taken?" Ichigo asked.

Mayuri turned back to the screen. "From what I can tell… My best guess would be that they want the thing somewhere in here." He pointed to something that looked like a dark blob on the chart. "Approximately, that's where you lack the ability to age and die completely."

"Meaning..?"

He sighed. "I'm making guess work here, but I'd say that's the 'it' thing they're after. The thing that stops aging and prevents death from occurring."

Now it all became clear. That was their plan. But it made little sense to both of them.

"But…" Nathan sounded like he was going to hyperventilate. "But why? I don't understand why anyone would want to subject themselves to that living hell. We… We hated it! Having to take Spirit Energy from people in order to survive, never being able to stray too far from a village but to keep scarce in order to keep people from finding out what you are. Why would they want that?"

Mayuri shrugged. "Well, in addition to not ageing, it also keeps you from dying in a sense."

"How? We can still die. It's a different kind of death, grant you, but when I fought against Rodger, I was-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Mayuri wagged a finger in Nathan's face. "Technically, you can't die if you get enough Spirit Energy in you. If Ichigo hadn't come along to give you some of his to feed off of, yes, you would have been dead. However, if you're given Spirit Energy, you can't be killed. It keeps you from dying and it heals your wounds. I'm sure with a little tinkering, these Arrancar fellows would find a way around all that and make it work to their benefit. Either that or they'll just take Spirit Energy without a care."

Distraught, Nathan started to pace the laboratory. He looked more like a child searching for a lost toy than anything. "But why? I don't understand! And why her and not the rest of us? Why? Why would anyone want to go through what we did for eternal life? We hated stealing away other's Spirit Energy! Sashiro always waited until they had their backs turned or were asleep before he got his. He couldn't stand taking it from people when they were aware. Why..?"

Nathan slammed his fist against the table top in his fury. But it was clear that he was just as angry with himself as he was the ones who took her away.

"Why couldn't I save her? I was right there! It's my duty to protect her and now… Granted, this isn't the first time we've been separated. She always did have a habit of running off. But either I or Sashiro were with her. Even if she was gone from our sight, we weren't too far behind. And now we were just a little too far to make it back to her in time…"

It looked like Nathan was about to start crying when Mayuri clapped his hands together once, seemingly unaware or indifferent to Nathan's pain. "You just answered your own question with that."

"Huh?"

"Why her and not you. You just said that she had a habit of running off, didn't you? They must have seen her, sensed that she was different somehow and took a liking to her. That's why they took her. They saw her. She was the only one that they were aware of. That must be it."

That was all Ichigo needed to hear. He didn't need to know any of the details. He just knew that he needed to save her. He grabbed a still distraught Nathan by his sleeve and pulled him away from the table and towards the door.

"We're going after her. I don't care about their reasons for taking her or any of that crap. I'm taking her home and that's that."

"Ichigo…" Nathan had a very tiny hint of a smile on the corner of his lips. In his eyes, it looked as if he was just promised the world. He allowed himself to be pulled from the lab and outside.

X

After getting permission, the two were allowed to speak to the Head Captain about the matter at hand. As always, Yamamoto was sitting in his chair in the middle of a spacious room with his lieutenant at the ready on his right. Ichigo told the Head Captain what little he understood.

"… And it seems that they want to experiment on her in order to become stronger somehow. I don't get how, but I know we can't let them do this. We have to go to Hueco Mundo and get her back."

Yamamoto sat there listening to every word carefully. Then he spoke. "Ichigo Kurosaki… How exactly do you plan to do this? Do you know their exact location and where she is being kept?"

"Well… no."

"And do you have a plan on how to go about rescuing her?"

"Just break in and take her back. What more do you need?"

Yamamoto sighed and sat back in his chair. "I cannot permit this rescue operation to be executed. Without a clear set plan, it's sure to fail. Not only that, but without a location, how do you expect to save her?"

Ichigo frowned. "Well, I just figured that we just go there and get her back."

"Ichigo Kurosaki… Do you have any idea how vast Hueco Mundo is? Given a lifetime, you'll never be able to travel its land to the fullest. Not only that, but have you considered the danger? All the Hollows, Menos and unstable ground? I've sent men from Research and Development to chart out the land and most have never come back. I've sent our top Soul Reapers there on missions and they've either all been killed or were never heard of again. It's far too dangerous."

"But you knew about Las Noches, didn't you? So you know some things about-"

"According to the reports I've gotten from Rukia Kuchiki and the others, it's safe to assume that these Arrancars aren't involved with Aizen anymore. They've clearly been banished and are therefore not allowed back in Las Noches. We'd be going off on a wild goose chase with no guarantee of success. There's no plan, location or anything."

Before he could speak again, Nathan took a step forward. His legs were shaking but he stood firmly before the Head captain. "S- sir…"

"Yes?"

"I admit that I don't know your laws very well and I'm still getting used to your customs… but please… Even if it's not my place, even if I'm speaking out of turn… please… Let me save her."

Nathan's trembling fists were clenching the fabric of his hakama. He spoke as if it were his last chance.

"Please… she's… she's my wife. I love her. I promised to look after her. I made a promise. It's my duty to save her. I'm willing to risk anything, go any distance, anything. I just want her back home where she belongs. Please, please let me save her. Please help me get her back. Please, sir, please."

Nathan hung his head as if apologizing, but his voice was clearly that of a begging man on his last hope.

Yamamoto sat there staring at him. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He just watched Nathan. Ichigo watched both of them, listening to Nathan's shallow breathing. If anyone knew just how much Nathan loved Rosalia, it was Ichigo. He had seen through his eyes, heard him speak of her and watched him fight for her, even when he knew that there was no hope of winning. He did what he did and tried because that was how much he loved her.

And Ichigo knew how it felt to be in such a hopeless situation. He had experienced it before. The Head Captain's decision was his last hope. All they needed to hear was an ok and the mission would be carried out. They would find her and bring her home. All they needed was that one 'yes'.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot approve this mission."

"What..?" Nathan's head shot up. Ichigo couldn't believe it either.

Yamamoto went on. "I cannot risk the lives of so many able bodied Soul Reapers on such a dangerous and hopeless expedition. You'll be killed my Hollows long before you reach her. Without a location, we wouldn't know where to start. I can't approve this rescue operation."

"But what about Rosalia?" Ichigo demanded.

"I cannot sacrifice the lives of numerous Soul Reapers to save one soul."

"But she's my wife!" Nathan cried, unable to hold in his outburst.

"I'm aware of that," Yamamoto spoke more gently to him than he did Ichigo, apparently somewhat understanding of his feelings. "But understand that I can't risk the lives of my men for her sake. I'm sorry."

He didn't sound very sincere in Ichigo's opinion. He just sounded like he couldn't be bothered.

The lieutenant showed them out into the hall and started to close the door when he saw Nathan's face. He wasn't crying, but he looked like he was about to. He looked more shocked than anything. He gave a half-hearted sigh and moved closer to him to whisper something.

"I realize that you love this woman and all, but if things come to a… dramatic end for her, you know you can always find another."

He closed the door behind them, just as Nathan turned around. The young man looked as if he were about to break down the door to strangle the lieutenant.

"Find another? Is that what he said? Another?" He bashed his hands against the wall and yelped in both pain and anguish. "How could he even suggest such a thing? I love _her_! I'll never find another I can love like her. Never! It… It's just not the same. And… I just can't… with… and she… I just…" He slid down the wall to his knees.

Ichigo knew exactly how that felt. Once when he was in karate class, the first one after his mother's death, a student came up to him and told him that his father could always remarry and then he'd have a mom again. At that time, he was too upset to punch him the way he would have when he got older, so he just ran outside crying. How could someone even suggest such a thing? Didn't anyone know just how much he loved his mother? His mom, the center of his world? Find a new one? Unthinkable. That must have been what it was like for Nathan. To ask him to find a new lover was like asking Ichigo to find a new mom to replace the one he lost. There was no way either of them could love a new one the way they did the one they lost. The first and true love of your life. Your soul mate. There was no other for Nathan out there. Rosalia was it. All her imperfections and all her immaturity made her the perfect one for the clumsy imperfect Nathan. Why couldn't anyone understand that?

"Doesn't he realize what's going on?" Ichigo's voice shook. "I mean, I didn't expect the old man to consider other people's feelings or anything like that. But I thought that he would want to do something if he knew the danger. If these guys get their way, they could become unstoppable and inviolable! I thought he would at least jump at that threat! Damn it!"

"What the hell's going on here? What's all the long looks for? And from you, Ichigo? Come on!"

They both looked up and saw a red-haired Soul Reaper standing there behind them.

"Renji?"

"Yup, that's me."

"I thought you were gone on a mission or something."

"Yeah, I just got back. So what'd I miss? What's he doing back here? I thought things were all clear with them."

Ichigo came right out and asked, "Do you want the long version or the short one?"

"Short, but with details so I know what the hell's going on."

"Ok." Ichigo inhaled. "A couple days ago, Rukia and some of the others showed up at my house with Nathan and told me that they were on a mission. That night an Arrancar attacked my house and we fought. I find out that he was looking for an it thing that we knew nothing about. Next day, another one attacks me and says that he's a former Espada before he runs off. We come back here and discover that Rosalia, Nathan's wife, was kidnapped by these Arrancar guys. Now we discovered that this it thing they're looking for could be the thing that was in them that prevented them from fully dying and want it for themselves to become stronger or whatever. Now we just got done talking to the old man and he says that he's not going to help us get her back because we don't know where in Hueco Mundo she is."

Renji blinked. "Wow. Where was I?"

"This is serious, Renji. We have to get her back."

"I hear you, but I don't see how we can if the Head Captain's against it and we don't have a clue where she is. But at the same time, we can't let them have their way or they could become unstoppable. I don't know what to tell you."

Nathan hung his head all over again on the verge of tears. "For all we know, she could be dead already…"

"I doubt it," Renji said. "If they took the time to kidnap her and everything, I find it hard to believe that they'd go through all that trouble just to end up killing her. They must need her alive. I'd say your chances are pretty high in that sense."

"But I have to get her back!" Nathan was on his feet and moved between Ichigo and Renji. "I need to make sure they're safe and ok! I can't let anything happen to them!"

"Them?" Renji raised a brow at Nathan. "I thought they just took the girl."

Nathan's face turned pink and he made himself as small as possible between his raised shoulders. "Uh… they did. They took her. Technically. Although…"

"Then what? Why do you keep saying 'they'?"

Ichigo was a little slow on the uptake, but then he started to understand. He looked at Nathan who looked back with a sheepish look on his face. His bashful eyes turned away from him and his face grew even redder.

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly. "Nathan..?"

"Um… heh heh…" He rubbed the back of his neck and started to play with his sleeves. "Did I mention that she was pregnant?"

Ichigo's face was just as red as Nathan's. He forgot how to speak. Not that it mattered since he couldn't think of anything to say.

"Oh, my God! Way to go, man!" Renji put an arm around Nathan and pulled him into a one-armed hug while he ruffled his hair with his free hand, laughing. "I didn't think you had it in you, you sly little bastard, you! Ha-ha! Man, you scored!"

"Renji, shut up!"

"Come on, Ichigo! What are you getting all hot and bothered about? This little man got to home base before we even knew he was up to bat! I was worried about you there, for a second, being so shy and all."

"Renji!"

"What?"

"I think you're missing the point! What are we going to do about Rosalia?" And now that they were made aware of her condition, that made things a lot worse for them. Since Ichigo only saw her through a window, he couldn't tell if she was pregnant. Now she was in danger and so was her child. Ichigo was only four when his sisters came into his life, but he scarcely remembered what it was like having an expecting mother around. He noticed that it became harder for him to sit on her lap, but she was also in a great deal of pain. She needed certain things at certain times and it was so easy for something to go wrong. She had to be careful. Rosalia was no different. They couldn't wait around and they couldn't abandon her.

"What do you expect me to do? I just walked in on this."

"Can't we just go to Hueco Mundo ourselves?" Nathan suggested.

"It's too dangerous," Renji told him. "Besides, we don't know where they are. Hueco Mundo is a big place. It would take us forever to find her, even with help."

Then Ichigo remembered. "Hey, the old man mentioned that Research and Development charted out parts of Hueco Mundo. Is it possible for them to give us a map or do a search for us someway?"

Renji thought. "It's possible. I mean, that's how we found Las Nochas. But I don't know."

"Is there anyone we could ask?"

"Not likely." Renji thought harder. "But… there's always…"

X

"Huh? Me?" Rin squeaked. "B- b- but why?"

"Because there's a bag of sweets in it for you if you do." Renji pushed the boy over to a chair in front of a large screen. "Now start searching."

"Uh… O- ok…" Rin started to pull up map after map on the large screen and pressed buttons left and right. "Granted… I only have a slight idea what I'm doing… I mean, Hueco Mundo is vast. It could take me ages…"

"Just start looking for any sort of activity. Can't you run a search scan of some kind that tracks souls?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"It was a soul they took. When it comes to finding a needle in a haystack, it's best to eliminate all the things that aren't needles. Right?"

"I- I guess so…" Rin looked back at the monitor. "But even so, it'll take me forever without a set location of some kind. I wouldn't know where to begin."

"_In the meantime, I'll return to my humble little desert cave I call home. You can thank Aizen for that dried up little hovel."_

Raposa's words suddenly came back to him. Ichigo pushed his way forward and over to Rin. "Hey, can you search all the caves in Hueco Mundo?"

"I- I suppose." Rin started to press buttons and within a minute, there was a beep. Rin gasped. "Oh! Yes, this is it, I think! Yeah, there's some weird activity going on in an underground cave a few miles away from Las Nochas. And there's a little blip there, indicating a soul! That's gotta be what you're looking for!"

Ichigo stood up with a smile. "Got it! Let's go!" He grabbed Nathan and started to leave.

"Hold on a second, Ichigo!" Renji reached out and grabbed him. "Do you even know how to get there? You can't even open a Garganta. You can't get there on your own and definitely not by running off in some random direction."

"But, um…" Rin stood up, pointing away from where they stood toward what looked like a closet. "Uh… I was just going to say that you could always use the one Captain Mayuri keeps locked up in there. It's his emergency portal. It can only be opened by someone on the outside and it only stays open for three minutes at a time, so you'll have to wait until it's opened again in order to get back. He was tinkering with the thing a little while ago to experiment on Hollows in secret without opening a real one with this machine, but the Head Captain prevented him from carrying it out, so…"

Ichigo and Renji looked at each other.

"It's fine, Rin." Ichigo smiled. "Fire it up. I'm going in."

"You're not going anywhere without me," Renji smirked.

"I'm going with you!" Nathan gave them a serious looked, ready for anything.

"No." This time, the protest came from Ichigo. "I can't let you go."

"What? But I-"

"Listen, I've been there before and they're right. It's hard. It's dangerous. We're trained Soul Reapers. We're prepared for this sort of thing. But you… you don't even have the powers you had anymore. You'd be easy prey for the Hollows there. I can't let you go. Renji and I will go. You can trust us to bring her back, right?"

Nathan shook his head. "No! I'm going, too! I know the risks. I'm willing to take it. I'm going, too."

"Nathan-"

"She's my wife!"

Ichigo had never seen his eyes look like this before. So firm, certain and serious. He meant it. Every word. And even if they left him behind, he could always follow after them. And Ichigo had brought along tagalongs before. Besides, Nathan was right. It was his wife they were going after. He should be there to take her back. It was his duty as a husband and man. If it were Ichigo's family, he'd react the same way. His family, he would protect them; Nathan's wife and unborn child, his task.

"Alright. Just stay close, ok? And you do what I say, understand?"

"Got it!" Nathan nodded.

"I can't believe you're bringing him along…" Renji groaned.

Rin opened the doors of the closet and pulled on a crank. A second pair of doors opened to reveal a metal doorway to nothing. "Just a sec." Rin twisted numerous knobs and pressed a button on the side. A light started to shine and started to rip itself apart, opening the gate to their destination. It was the same as the normal Garganta they had seen the Arrancars use, but it was definitely leading them to Hueco Mundo. "I can't garentee where it lets out, but I've set it as close to that location as possible."

"Better hurry before it closes," Renji said.

"Right." Ichigo looked at Rin. "Thanks." He looked at the one next to him. "Ready, Nathan?"

He nodded. "Let's go bring her home."

Together, they jumped into the darkness.

**

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Please review! ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

It was a rough ride to Hueco Mundo. Clearly the device hadn't been used very often. Rather than allowing them to simply step out as normal, the gateway opened parallel with the ground and dumped them out into the sand. The three man team dug themselves out of the dune and counted heads. Everyone was accounted for.

Nathan looked around at the endless landscape openmouthed. "This is Hueco Mundo? This is a desert. I thought it'd be a lot warmer than this. It's actually kind of cool out."

"It's always night here. But you're right. It's not a normal desert. A real one would be a lot colder at night," Renji said. "Alright. Rin said that he dropped us off as close as he could get us to where they are. And it's underground. So I think we should start digging. We're bound to tunnel out into an open area somewhere."

"Good thinking, but how long's that going to take?" Ichigo asked. "I say our safest bet it to just wonder around until we come across something that'll lead us to where they are."

"Oh, brilliant idea. You expect to find a door in the middle of nowhere?"

"Hey, don't yell at me, Renji! You're the one who said that we should dig!"

"It's a better idea than yours!"

The two were too busy arguing to notice Nathan wandering towards the half moon in the sky. By the time they noticed, he was already a good distance away. As Ichigo ran to catch up to him, his foot snagged something in the sand.

"Hey, hold on!"

The two turned.

His foot was buried in the sand and sinking fast.

"What is that?" Nathan asked. "Quicksand?"

It didn't feel like quicksand to him. This was something else. Ichigo removed the sword from his back and handed it to them, unraveling the cloth around it. "I'm going to see where it leads."

"Are you nuts?" Renji asked. "What if it is quicksand?"

"That's why I'm giving you this. If it is, then I'll have a lifeline. But the sand here is soft, not wet or anything. I think it's like one of those sinkholes. Which means there's gotta be an underground passage at the bottom. How's this, if it's quicksand I'll pull on this twice and if it's a passage I'll pull three times?"

Nathan and Renji looked at each other then started to lower him down.

Ichigo held onto the end of the cloth with both hands and allowed himself to be swallowed up by the sand. Once it was up to his neck, he shut his eyes and held his breath. He felt himself sink deeper and deeper down until his feet fell through to the other side. But he stopped there. What was going on? Why'd he suddenly stop? The cloth must have run out and the two above couldn't lower him any further. There was a sharp sword on the other end so they couldn't hold onto that part. But his feet hadn't touched down yet. He was just hanging there, unable to see anything. But this must have meant that he was right and there was a passageway under ground.

He pulled on the cloth three times.

Suddenly, his body began to fall straight down. He popped out the other side and fell into a pile of sand and stone. Two more followed him out and landed on top of him. Nathan was sandwiched between them both, the sword still in his hand.

"Are you guys ok?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, we're both fine."

They got to their feet and looked around. It was a long hallway of sand and stone. There were no torches or anything that would indicate that someone was using this tunnel but it was made clear by the way it was smoothed out and sculpted to look like a hallway.

Renji looked straight up where they had come. The passage had already refilled itself with fresh sand, covering up any evidence that someone had used it. But now it was impossible to tell where the exit was. He looked around at the pile of sand under them. This was their only marker. The rest of the ground was flat except for this spot. Knowing this would make it easier to find their way back out.

Nathan looked from right to left. The tunnel led them in both directions. But which way was Rosalia?

"Let's go this way." Ichigo pointed down the right side. He returned the sword to his back and led them down the long dark tunnel.

They walked for several minutes before they saw light on the other side. Renji forced them all to the ground, not knowing what was on the other side. They crawled down the rest of the passage on their knees and stopped at the mouth of the passage.

It was a huge underground cave, just as Rin described. But rather than sand, the walls were covered with white stone and the floors were made of white tiles. Everything looked as sterile as a hospital. And yet, it was filled with messy looking objects and machines. It looked a bit like Mayuri's laboratory. There were things hanging from the ceiling on long chains and stuffed inside cupboards. Bookcases lined one wall and down another, half the shelves were filled with books and the others with experiments, papers and boxes. It was definitely a lab.

A fizzling noise distracted them and they looked to see a tiny lizard Hollow crawling out of a pot and across the floor, towards them. Before any of them had time to flinch, a hand reached out and snatched it up.

It was a tall thin man with light green hair dressed in an Arrancar uniform. Keeping his back to them, he raised the Hollow to his face and made a hideous slurping sound as the Hollow slowly started to vanish from sight, squeaking and yelping. This Arrancar just ate it alive.

"Serpiente!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." The man in front of them walked over to the man Ichigo recognized as Raposa. The new Arrancar sat down at a large white table facing the opposite wall.

"What the hell was that?" Raposa asked, pointing to where the lizard Hollow had been scuttling.

"I was hungry. I was keeping it in that pot to test something on it and it got away so I ate it. So what?"

"Serpiente, for God's sake! I told you to work, damn it! Not snack!"

He lifted his face so they could see the mask under his eyes and his dark eyes. "Well, there's nothing for me to report and you don't want me falling down from hunger, do you?"

"I don't care unless you have the answers. Now what have you got?"

Serpiente held up a stack of papers and Raposa started to thumb through them.

"Uh… These are blank."

"Yup."

He hit the other man over the head with them causing the impact to echo off the walls. "You idiot! I told you to find it!"

"And I told you that I can't!"

"Maybe if you weren't so damn busy snacking on mini Hollows, you would have found an answer by now, you dumbass!"

Serpiente turned in his chair, but didn't stand up. "Look, Raposa! I have searched and searched and got nowhere! I've run my tests did all the research and all that jazz, but I got nothing! I'm trying my best so get off my back! If you don't like the way I do my work, then you sit in this chair and do it yourself!"

"Don't you talk to me that way, you bastard!"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! What the hell's going on in here?" Cercenar came out from a backroom and over to them. "Fighting again? Jeez! What crawled up your ass, Raposa? You've been on our case ever since I came back from the World of the Living and getting worse by the day. What the hell's with you?"

"I'm the only one doing my job, that's what! I fought the Soul Reaper-"

"So did I," Cercenar interrupted.

"And I released that Hollow and I got the girl!"

"Ichigo." Nathan pointed behind Raposa to a cell holding a young girl. "It's her."

He nodded. That was her alright. She had her back to them but it was definitely her. "Ok, come on," he whispered and slowly started to crawl towards the cell while the Arrancar trio had their spat.

"You dumped all this on my lap! I have no idea what the hell I'm doing!" Serpiente yelled.

"I told you what I wanted!"

"Like I'm a mind-reader. You need to be more clear! Like I know what 'find this' means!"

"Hey, yeah! And I fought that Kurosaki guy, too, you know! Where's my prize?"

"You came crawling back here with your tail between your sorry legs!"

"Only because you called me back!"

"We had an issue going on!"

"Yeah, and I'm looking at it!"

Keeping low to the ground and without making a sound, they very slowly made their way toward Rosalia. Sliding their backs along the wall, they crept, keeping an eyes on the arguing Arrancars the whole time. So far so good. They went unnoticed by the small group. Ichigo slid one foot in front of the other, holding his breath. They were so close. He only prayed that the trio didn't turn around.

They were almost at the cage. Just another few steps and they would be there.

A loud clang caused them all to look up, startled.

It had nothing to do with them. As it turned out, Cercenar had pushed Serpiente into the table resulting in Raposa shoving him back saying how they needed him still.

"He's the only one of us who can do this, you fool! We can't kill him yet!"

"Yet?" Serpiente got up and grabbed Raposa by his shirt. "What do you mean yet? You're useless without me! You knew that so you brought me along! I know you did!"

"Keep dreaming!"

Raposa shoved him back. "Get your hands off me!"

As long as their fight continued, Ichigo and the others wouldn't be found. There would be no need to fight, either. All they had to do was get Rosalia and make a run for it. No one would get hurt.

They finally reached the bars of her cell. Ichigo was the first one there followed by Nathan and then Renji. Nathan crawled over to the other side of her cage and called to her in a whisper.

"Psst. Rosalia."

At her name, she turned. Her face lit up at once when she saw Nathan but didn't cry out the way Ichigo had expected her to. She moved to the bars and stuck her hands through them to hold Nathan. Resting on her lap was her round belly. She was farther along than Ichigo had expected. But it looked like everything was fine. She seemed to be unharmed.

"Nathan..!" she whispered through the bars to him. "I'm so happy to see you. I was so scared."

"Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?"

"No. They just put me in here and started doing stuff over there. I don't know. They didn't touch me or hurt me or anything. I don't know what they want."

"How's the baby?" Nathan's eyes were upon her stomach.

She placed a hand over her belly and gave it a ginger rub. "Fine. It kicks now and then."

Nathan looked happy to hear that.

"Me? Useless? Are you kidding me?"

"It's your fault we're in this situation in the first place! At least Aizen promised us things! You've only been digging us into an even deeper hole than we were in before!"

"He's right! And all because you couldn't stand the thought of being a former Espada!"

"Shut up! It's not about that! And you were on the chopping block, too, Cercenar!"

"Like I care! None of them would have the gall to kill me!"

"You're nothing without me! I'm the strongest of all of you!"

"So we're useless? Is that it?" Serpiente spat.

"Yeah, you are!"

"Then why did I sense them before you?" He pointed to where Ichigo knelt with the others.

_Crap!_

Raposa turned. "Hey!"

Rosalia gasped and backed away from the bars. Nathan turned, shielding her from view with his body.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the lieutenant of Squad 6, Renji Ab-"

"Not you! Him!" Raposa pointed at Nathan. "You look familiar somehow. Have we met?"

Nathan's legs trembled. "I- I- I…"

Ichigo stepped in front of him. "You saw him in the World of the Living when you were fighting me and tried to kill him."

"Really? Is that it? I can't recall. Not like it matters." He addressed Nathan. "You, away from there!"

Nathan didn't budge.

"Now, boy!"

"N- no!" Nathan clung to the bars with his hands, still facing Raposa. "I won't! I'm bringing her home with me!"

"Like hell you are!" Raposa drew his weapon: a long hooked sword. He dashed forward just as Rosalia screamed.

There was a clang as Raposa's weapon met Ichigo's. He blocked the attack one-handed and threw the enemy back. "If you want either of them, you have to go through me!"

Raposa laughed. "Fine by me. We have unfinished business anyway."

Turning his blade on Ichigo, he dashed sideways and attacked from the left. Ichigo dodged quickly. He swept the blade diagonally, turning and cutting the emptiness in front of him. Ichigo took this chance to attack from below. He ducked down and went straight up with his sword pointed out. Raposa lifted the katana and brought it straight down in a sweeping gesture before turning his body adroitly out of the way of his enemy. Ichigo didn't feel it hit but he saw the blood spray out of his shoulder.

Cercenar jumped towards Nathan and was stopped by Renji. The lieutenant forced him back into a wall and their fight began.

This left one Arrancar remaining. Serpiente looked at Nathan and then at his comrades. Then he took a seat and watched the fights go on around him.

"Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji's blade grew long and flexible like a whip and slashed Cercenar in the shoulder. He jumped back and examined his injury. It wasn't that deep, but it was enough to get him angry. He pulled out his own weapon and started to slash him back. He wasn't very fast, but he was strong. It wasn't his speed that caught Renji off guard, it was his strength. He hit him with enough force to send him reeling back into a bookcase and then through it.

Renji landed in a pile of books and blood. He tried to stand up, but heard a loud crack. From the feel of it, he had just broken two of his ribs. This wasn't enough to stop him. But this was a good taste of what his opponent could do. If he wanted to win and win fast, he would have to unleash his bankai. But in this cramped space, that wasn't possible. Not if he wanted to keep from injuring someone he didn't want to. Zabimaru was bigger than this lab. There wasn't any room to fight like that.

Cercenar dashed forward and into Renji's gut, rupturing his insides. He spat out a mouthful of blood. From there, he grabbed Renji by his hair and threw him into the air and down onto a table. He jumped on the table as well and started to bash his head in with a large pot. Blood started to drip from Renji's head and down his face. In the midst of the brutal attack, he bent his knees and kicked Cercenar in the stomach.

Serpiente moved away from the fight, annoyed. These guys were breaking all his stuff. Not that it mattered. He hadn't used those things in so very long. He had plenty extra.

Renji punched the Arrancar in the face and chased after him, sword at his side. He stopped short as Ichigo went flying through the air between them, Raposa close behind.

Ichigo's fight was still going on and so far it was a draw. Neither one was winning. With no clear winner in sight, they were reduced to just punching and slashing at each other. Ichigo raised his sword and brought it down on Raposa's. No good. They were too evenly matched. This wasn't working.

Spoke too soon.

Raposa stuck his hand in Ichigo's face and unleashed a cero. He couldn't block fast enough. The cero burned into both shoulders and scorched some of his hair. Before he could breathe, Raposa slammed into him once again. He sent Ichigo through two tables before slamming into a wall. He picked him up from the pile of broken glass and wood, throwing him into another wall.

Meanwhile, Nathan kept trying to free his wife from her prison. There was no lock or anything. "Where's the key?"

"There is no key," she told him. "They just threw me in here. I didn't see them use a key or anything. I don't know how…"

Nathan pulled desperately at the bars, but no matter what he did, it was useless. They wouldn't give. "How do I open this without a key?"

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Nathan just barely avoided being blasted by Ichigo's stray attack. It blasted a hole in the bars, allowing Rosalia to be free. Nathan climbed over the broken bars and helped pull her out and into his chest. The first thing he did was stroke her hair and embrace her. Then he took her by the hand over to the exit where they had come.

Ichigo only managed to catch a glimpse of Nathan and Rosalia out of the corner of his eye during his fight. He saw them moving toward the exit and knew he had to end his fight quickly.

Too bad Raposa had the same idea. "You're dead, Soul Reaper!"

Taking Ichigo by the throat, they spiraled downward toward the ground and into the broken cell bars. His bones cracked and shattered from the impact and blood started to spill from between his lips.

The attacked came to a sudden halt once Raposa realized that the cage holding the girl was empty. He called on Serpiente and in a flash, he answered.

"Looking for them?" he pointed to the duo under his arms. Nathan fought against the submission hold, but couldn't get free. They were trapped. "Do I have to do everything?"

Taking this chance to attack, Ichigo took his sword and stuck it into Raposa's abdomen. The sharp pain caused the Arrancar to spin around and shower Ichigo with kicks to the face.

"I'll kill you for sure this time!"

Something slammed into his back and sent him crashing to the floor behind Ichigo. It was Renji. But not by his choice. Renji was thrown by the man he had been fighting all this time. And from the looks of things, he wasn't doing so well, either. His face and body were all torn up as if by a massive saw. His opponent stood behind him, blood all over his hands.

"Oops. I thought I aimed higher than that. Sorry, Raposa."

Ichigo stood up and made a mad dash toward Nathan and Rosalia.

"Fine by me," Serpiente said slyly and released the two under his arms and moved in. In a flash, he was gone. Ichigo blinked and there he was in his face. The next thing he felt was a powerful punch to his jaw. His body crashed and twisted over the ground before coming to a stop near the broken cell bars.

He looked up and there Serpiente was again. His feet slid rather than stepped, giving his movements a seamless flow, as if he were dancing. With a flick of his wrist Ichigo was on the ground again. Forget the others. This guy was faster than any of them combined! His speed was even faster than Ichigo's in Bankai. This wasn't good.

"All yours, Raposa."

"Ah..?"

A sword sank deep into his shoulder, sent there by Raposa standing over him.

"Gaah!" Ichigo cried out but couldn't remove the blade from his shoulder.

Keeping a hand on his weapon, holding it in place, Raposa brought his head down to Ichigo's level. "Why?" he asked. "Why do you care so much? Why are you here? Why do you want her back so badly?"

Ichigo looked at Nathan and Rosalia back under the Arrancar's arms and then to Renji under Cercenar who was sitting on him.

"Well?"

He looked back at him. "Because I promised to bring her back."

Raposa smirked. "That's it?"

"I didn't know if you were going to kill her or not. I didn't know what you planned to do to her. But I know what you're up to. I know that you're trying to use her to make yourself stronger, immortal."

Slowly Raposa's eyes got bigger. But not from surprise. Now Ichigo could see his big green eyes. He started to chuckle.

"So that's what you came up with? Hmm. It's true that we want to use her for personal gain, but you don't know the half of it, do you? I may as well tell you since you're going to die anyway…"

Keeping his sword planted in Ichigo's shoulder with one hand, he gestured to his comrades with the other.

"Surely you know how Arrancars are born, correct?"

Swallowing the blood in his mouth, Ichigo answered. "It's because your masks were removed and because Aizen tampered with you?"

He smiled. "Basically. But that's not all of what we are. We are first and foremost Hollows. At a time, we were just a bunch of mindless eating machines chasing after any soul we could find. But when none were around, we resorted to eating each other. Over time, Hollows evolve, becoming Gillians. Following this transformation, the Gillian can evolve twice more, first into an Adjuchas and finally into a Vasto Lorde, provided certain conditions are met. But if another Hollow succeeds in devouring even a part of their body, evolution becomes impossible."

Ichigo nodded once. "Yeah, I get that. So?"

"So? So we were all Adjuchas when Aizen took us in and made us what we are now. But now we don't have Aizen's protection. We're on our own. We don't know if we'll revert back or not. Don't you understand? If Adjuchas like us don't get enough Hollows to eat, we change back into those mindless Menos we were before and can never evolve again. We must continue to consume Hollows in order to keep from reverting back. We don't want that to happen. Not now, not ever."

He twisted the sword in Ichigo's shoulder, causing him to grimace in pain.

"Don't you get it? Once we've tasted power such as this, you expect us to give it all up just like that and go back to mindless drones? That's a fate I do not wish to have forced on me. Cercenar and Serpiente feel the same. That's why we're here."

"And the girl?" More blood started to drip from Ichigo's mouth.

He smirked. "It was Serpiente who first discovered her power. He can sense the things no one else can. He knew she was different. He sensed the gene in her and knew with a little tinkering, we could have it for ourselves and stop the de-evolution process from ever happening. Not only that, but we would be even more powerful than before. We could stop death from ever coming, we could heal from anything. The possibilities are endless."

"How the hell could he figure all that out anyway?"

Serpiente opened his mouth and out came a long snake tongue. It fanned the air where Ichigo sat pinned and then wormed back into his mouth. "You're a Soul Reaper, but you're also human. And yet, you're Hollow. You're a Vizard. And you live in fear of your inner Hollow taking over. And you've also made contact with a mod soul and a Quincy."

His jaw dropped. "H- how did you..?"

"I told you that he could sense things no one else can. He can smell what's not only on you, but what's inside of you. He can smell your genes, your blood, everything. He's a very useful tool to have around."

"And not five minutes ago you called me useless…"

Ichigo tried to push himself up, but the sword sliced further into his shoulder as he moved. He needed a plan. The door was just a few tables away but both Nathan and Rosalia were trapped by the Arrancar. And Renji was still under the other one. And with this sword in his shoulder, he couldn't do much to help any of them. He just had to buy his time.

"So how do you plan to use her to get what you want?"

"Unfortunately, we seem to have a problem locating the gene in her this time. It's as if it's disappeared."

Ichigo started laughing at them. "That's because we got rid of that gene. She's just a normal soul so joke's on you!"

Raposa stared at him as if he had expected this. "So you think that'll be enough to stop us? The thing about evolution is that the genes are always going to be inside of you somewhere. You just have to locate them and bring them out. After all, we never stopped being Hollows. We're just highly evolved ones. With a little experimenting, we can bring that gene back out. Even if we have to cut her open to do it."

At his words, Rosalia started to squirm under Serpiente's arm. Images of her being dissected in ten different ways ran through her mind. Nathan wriggled even more, trying to get free for her sake as well as his. He had to get her out of here before they had their way with her.

Under Cercenar's weight, Renji managed to lift his head. His face was soaked in blood from the earlier attack. He gave Ichigo a silent look which read 'get ready to run' and turned his hand up towards the Arrancar on top of him. Ichigo didn't know what was about to happen, but he had faith that whatever it was, it was going to get them out of here. He had to keep them distracted for just another second so Renji could do his thing.

"You know she wasn't born with that gene, right? No matter how much you experiment on her, there's no guarantee it'll bring it back. Besides, it does more harm than good. You'll have to keep sucking out people's Spirit Energy in order to survive. Hollow, Spirit Energy… Either way you look at it, you're going to have to consume something for the rest of your life. But Spirit Energy is harder to come by here, isn't it? Just count your blessings."

Raposa laughed again. "Idiot. What makes you think it'll be the same for us? We can always find a way around it. And even so, we don't care. It just means that we have to kill more people. That's all. I don't mind, how 'bout you guys?"

The two behind him chuckled.

"See? You're just wasting your breath. I ought to just kill you now."

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

A red blast erupted from under Cercenar and sent him flying into the air with a loud boom. Renji stood up, his red hair slightly scorched along with part of his face, but otherwise ok. The Arrancar was in even worse shape. He came down with a crash on top of a large grey and white tower. The wires keeping it connected to the wall started to stretch and rip away from the odd machine. It started to tip.

"No!" Serpiente threw the two souls aside and ran to the falling device. He threw himself under it and propped it up with both arms. "All my data's on this!" He dug his heels into the ground to keep himself from sliding. The great tower was six times his size and at least twice his circumference. But him being able to hold it up didn't take Ichigo by surprise at all.

"What?" Taken by surprise, Raposa turned his body around, taking his hand off his sword.

Now was his chance. Ichigo ripped the weapon out of his shoulder and turned it on its master. He stabbed straight through his back and out the front. He looked down at the sword sticking out of his torso and turned his head around to look at Ichigo.

"You sorry little bastard…" He backhanded Ichigo across the face, sending him flying into another wall.

Ichigo landed next to Serpiente on the floor. As he sat up, he saw Nathan take Rosalia by the hand and lead her back toward the exit. He looked back at Ichigo, slowing his pace. But Ichigo waved him on. "Go! I'm coming!" Nathan nodded and ran out of sight.

Now there was no danger of them getting hurt.

He looked back and saw Renji standing on a table, whipping Zabimaru around like a madman, slicing into anything it touched. He wasn't aiming at anyone. He was just trying to destroy as much as possible. Without any materials, these guys couldn't carry out their plan. Ichigo understood. He got to his feet and started to run.

"Hey, get back here, you!" Serpiente reached out with one hand and grabbed Ichigo by the hair. He had a good grip on his head, but Ichigo didn't care. He pulled harder and, ripping out a handful of hair, was free. Unable to go after him, Serpiente stayed under the tower fist still closed around the orange hairs.

"Renji, come on!" Ichigo shouted while running towards the exit. "Let's go!"

Flipping a table into the air, Renji jumped down and followed after him. On their way out the opening, Raposa aimed a powerful kick at Ichigo. Moving aside just in time, the kick only grazed his chin. Together, Ichigo and Renji punched him hard in the face sending him into another large device which tipped and fell on impact. The lab was slowly falling apart around them. They made a mad dash for the door. They jumped over tables and dodged falling glass on their way there. A falling bookcase threatened to cut them off but they managed to squeeze under it just before it completed its fall, sealing off the doorway.

Raposa stood in the middle of all the destruction, watching in the direction they had fled. "This isn't over, Soul Reapers! This means war!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Running as fast as they could, the group made their way down the long tunnel towards the sand pile under their escape route. Now the problem was how to get out through a passage fifteen feet above their heads incased in sand that only slid downward. Renji, trying out his plan first, used Zabimaru's body as a ladder to get up and out. He stayed behind while Ichigo and the others went first.

After a difficult climb to the top, Ichigo broke through the surface and out onto the sand above. He turned back to help Rosalia out of the pit next and then Nathan. Renji was the last one out but he had the easiest time. All he had to do was hold onto his sword while the others pulled him out from the other side.

"Is everyone ok?"

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Ichigo felt all the pain from his battle. He put a hand to his scalp. "Ouch!"

"What?"

"Oh, one of those guys pulled out some of my hair. It's nothing."

They all walked back to where the portal had first dumped them out and sat there, waiting.

"Do you really think Rin will be able to get us back?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm sure he will," Renji said, rubbing the blood out of his eye. "He has that monitor thing that shows where souls are in this place. He'll figure it out. If we just wait here, it'll open up again. Trust me."

Nathan helped Rosalia to sit on a stone near a shriveled tree and checked her over for injuries. She was unharmed. He pressed an ear to her belly, listening for the baby inside. He held his breath, waiting. The others watched him, holding their breath as well.

Then he smiled. "I can hear it."

He put a hand to her belly and Rosalia lay a hand atop his, smiling. "How's it sound?"

Nathan shrugged. "Can't tell." He paused and took his head away, pointing to his cheek. "Kicked me there."

She giggled. "What do you think? Sashiro is betting on a boy. Think it's a girl?"

Nathan gave her stomach a long hard look, thinking. Then he looked back up at her. "Don't know. I don't have a preference anyway. Boy or girl, I'll love them."

Rosalia looked back at Ichigo and Renji. "Wanna feel?"

Taken aback by the question, the two looked at each other nervously. "Well, I- I… don't know…"

"Come on." She waved them over and they came. Kneeling at her feet, Rosalia took their hands and placed them over the spot she wanted them to feel. They waited.

After a few seconds, Ichigo felt a tiny thumped under his palm. It felt kind of like rattling around a balloon with a coin inside. It brought a smile to his face. And to think, there was a time when he was in his mother's stomach, just like this. His sisters, too. They were all in their mother's womb.

"It feels weird," Reni commented. "Like a littler person's moving around in there just under the skin but you can barely feel it."

"There is a person in there, you idiot," Ichigo snickered.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up."

The moment ended when a whooshing sound came from a short distance away, blowing away sand and rustling the shriveled trees. The gate was open again. They helped Rosalia to her feet and over toward the gate. They stood under the lopsided gate trying to figure out a way to get to it. It was at a 45 degree angle with the ground and ten feet above their heads.

Nathan stood behind Rosalia, placing a hand on her shoulder and another behind her legs. He scooped her up bridal style and started to carry her towards the gate.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a bit surprised by this action.

"I'm carrying you over the threshold," he told her.

"But you're not tall enough to reach…"

That was the least of his problems at the moment. Right now he was just struggling to hold her up. His legs were shaking and his arms were slowly starting to drop. It wasn't that she was heavy. He was just weak. He tried to walk towards the gate, but couldn't. So he dragged his feet towards it instead. After a minute of struggling, he fell to one knee, holding her up on his raised one.

"Should I get down or..?"

"No, no. I got you." Nathan panted before trying to lift her up again. He didn't get far.

Renji leaned over to Ichigo, whispering, "This is embarrassing. Could we do this today before the gate closes up again? We're only good for three minutes, remember?"

"Yeah, I know." Enough was enough. Nathan was trying to take care of his woman like a man should, but it clearly wasn't working. Ichigo reached down and picked Rosalia up and put her on his shoulder. He would have put her over his shoulder, but he couldn't with a baby in her belly.

Nathan looked at how easily Ichigo could lift her and balance her on his shoulder like that and looked away embarrassed.

"The gate'll close in another minute. We should hurry." Ichigo held her out towards the gate. She managed to reach it and pull herself in. Next was Nathan. Ichigo cupped his hands and squatted down. "I'll lift you up, ok?"

Nathan put his hands on Ichigo's shoulders and stepped up onto Ichigo's palms.

"Hey, Ichigo?"

"Yeah, Renji?"

With no answer, he looked up. Renji was standing with his back to them, looking out over the sand. "The sand's moving over there."

He shrugged. "It's probably just the wind."

"Ichigo."

"Yeah?"

"What wind?"

Ichigo stopped. There was no wind blowing. He looked at the sand where Renji was staring. The sand was moving in a zigzag motion, moving the surface up as it moved. Something was moving under the sand.

Sticking her head out the gate, Rosalia asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Get in the portal." Ichigo lifted Nathan up into the gate. "Let's go, Renji."

The sand stopped moving as it got to where Renji stood.

"Ichigo! Get out of-"

Renji's voice was suddenly cut off mid-warning with a sound like paper being ripped.

Ichigo turned around. "Renji!"

A vivid red pool began to spread under Renji's fallen body, growing in severe proportion.

"Ichigo?"

"Get back to the Soul Society!" he shouted over his shoulder, grabbing his sword.

There was going to be a fight.

The sand was moving again. Moving faster and faster, the thing below the surface tunneled towards Ichigo. Then it stopped. There was an ominous silence and then…

The sand blew apart like a geyser and out popped Cercenar.

"This isn't over yet, Soul Reaper!" He turned his blade on himself, plunging it into his gut. "Dice, Vio Tiburon!"

_His Resurreccion!_

Ichigo felt the air itself slit itself in two as the power of his Resurreccion was released. Once the sand whirlwind faded, he found himself staring face to face with Cercenar's release. His arms had grown long and sharp like daggers. His shoulders had gained a strange armor-like quality with sharp jagged spikes wrapping around his shoulders. He had spikes running down his back, giving him a chainsaw-like appearance. He looked more like a porcupine than anything else with all those spikes and blades covering him.

Cercenar turned his plated head towards Ichigo, long sharp teeth pointed at him. "Time for me to show you what I can really do, boy!"

The gate behind him was starting to close. At least those two would make it back safely. But he and Renji would be left behind at the mercy of this Arrancar.

As they watched helplessly from the gate in the sky, Nathan looked over and spotted Renji on the ground in a pool of his own blood. "I have to help him."

Rosalia turned to him. "No!"

"I have to do something before he bleeds to death."

She grabbed his sleeve. "Please! Don't leave me! I don't want you to get killed."

"Renji needs help. He helped us."

The gate was closing. There was only a narrow space just big enough for him to slip through.

Nathan turned back to her and kissed her. "I'm sorry. Wait for me." He jumped out and landed in the sand.

"No! Nathan! Come back here! Nath-" The gate closed, drowning out her voice.

He ran across the sand and over to Renji. He turned him over onto his back. He had been slashed across his chest by, what looked like, a saw. It had cut deeply into his chest, cutting through his ribs and into his left lung. He was in bad shape.

Meanwhile, Ichigo knew he had to go all the way on this one. Unleashing his Bankai should do it. He jumped right into the fight. Cercenar slashed at him with his blade-like hands, missing him by inches.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

He hit him at pointblank range, severely damaging his face and upper body. This was good. With such a bulky body and all those blades weighing him down, Cercenar couldn't move very fast. Ichigo had the upper hand in this fight when it came to speed.

Cercenar swung at Ichigo, his long claws scrapping across the surface of the sand. He turned his large protected body, kicking up a whirlwind of sand, and snapped in Ichigo's direction. He unleashed a cero as he got close enough. Ichigo dodged, but just barely.

"Kurosaki!"

Cercenar snapped at the air, sinking his fangs into Ichigo's leg. It felt like he was caught in a bear trap. His vice grip was incredible. The Arrancar dove below the sand with his prey. Ichigo was dragged underground, at the mercy of Cercenar. He turned his sword around, stabbing Cercenar in the eye. Screeching, Cercenar released Ichigo.

Ichigo swam by to the top of the sand, dragging his sword behind. He tried to stand once he reached the top, but his leg couldn't support his weight. He looked down at his bloody thigh. His enemy's fangs had sunk deep into his leg, scrapping the bone. He wouldn't be able to use it fully for a while. He'd much rather face an army of Hollows than an Arrancar any day, but he had little choice in the matter.

Tunneling under the sand for a second go, Cercenar emerged with a howl. Ichigo turned in time to see an open mouth coming at his face. Speed. Speed is what he needed. He needed more speed. More power. In a fraction of an instant, Ichigo dawned his mask.

Cercenar's jaws clamped down on nothing. He turned, spotting Ichigo behind him, wearing a Hollow mask. "So this is your true power? I guess Serpiente was right about you after all. Now show me what you can do!"

Ichigo jumped as he struck. Cercenar whipped his tail around, catching Ichigo in the legs. He opened his mouth wide and went in for the killing blow. Ichigo flashed away, causing Cercenar to chomp down on his own tail. He howled with pain and reeled back. He scanned the sand for Ichigo and found him standing in front of him. He lunged forward.

Ichigo ducked down and slid under his massive body, the point of his sword cutting into Cercenar's underside as he went. Cercenar screamed and rolled over the sand in agony.

Ichigo stood up and watched the blood spill from the Arrancar's stomach like a waterfall. That's right. He was only protected on his back. The bone armor and spikes covered every part of him except his underside. He really was like a porcupine. Now he knew where to hit him.

"I'll kill you, Kurosaki!"

"Try it!"

Cercenar charged in with a roar. At the last second, Ichigo jumped high over his head. Cercenar raised his head to follow his movements, exposing his underside. That was what he was hoping for. Ichigo flashed away and reappeared directly under the Arrancar's body.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The blast hit him in the center of his chest, right on his Hollow hole. The blast was enough to send Cercenar flying backward into the sand, screaming the whole way until finally disappearing under the sand.

Ichigo removed his mask and watched the area where he had vanished. He didn't kill him. That much he knew. That wasn't enough to kill him, but at least now he wouldn't be coming after them again. Ichigo turned his back on the sand and limped back to where Renji lay.

When he finally reached his side, he saw another person crouched over him, trying to mop up the blood.

"Nathan?"

The blond man was franticly trying to dress the wound on Renji's chest with what little he had on hand. There was a lot of blood, but Renji had survived worse. All in all, he was in bad shape. Nathan ripped apart torn pieces of Renji's kimono and wrapped them around his chest as a makeshift bandage. He used a cloth from the inside of his clothes as a rag to mop up Renji's head. He wiped away his sweat and blood.

Nathan didn't stop for a second. He was no doctor, but he was trying his best to help Renji in any way he could. As he moved to mop up Renji's head again, his narrow eyes opened and looked at him.

"Try not to move," Nathan told him. "You're badly hurt. You'll open up your wounds again."

"You… idiot!"

He flinched at Renji's harshly spoken words.

"I told you to get away! What the hell are you doing here?"

Nathan didn't answer. He just played with his sleeves.

"Why did you come back?"

Nathan looked down as if ashamed. "I- I just… I just wanted to help you."

Renji panted. Whether he was panting from rage or from pain was unclear. Nathan was being foolish in his eyes. He was home free with his pregnant wife. Why would he come racing back for him? He was helpless. He wasn't a doctor or a Soul Reaper so what good was he here? He shouldn't have come back.

"Why the hell would you come back to help me?"

"Because no one did for me!"

Nathan's sudden bust caused both Ichigo and Renji to look up at him.

"No one… Not a one ever came back for me. No one ever tried to help me. Not my family, no one. No one ever tried to help me." In Nathan's eyes was the reflection of every moment of his pain. All his tears, all his scars, everything. "When I was hurt, no one helped me. When I was lost, no one cared. When I was confused, no one showed me the way. When I didn't know the answer, no one taught me how. No one did anything for me. No one could be bothered. My first master beat me all the time. Even in the streets. People passed by without a word. No one cared. No one bothered. Only one person ever did anything about it. She helped me in the only way she knew how; by buying me. She took me in. She taught me. She showed me the way. When I made a mistake, she never once struck me. And when I was hurt or scared or confused, she helped me."

They knew he was talking about Rosalia. It was plain as day.

"I know what it's like to be discarded. I know what it's like to be cast aside. I know how it feels to have people pass you by when you're in need. Even though I know I can do so little, even though there's not much I can do, I can at least try. That's what I want to do. Because no one else ever did that for me. If just one person had stopped, even if they could do nothing for me, I would have been grateful. So I will help out any one in need. If I am able to do even the slightest thing for them, I will do just that. I will help anyway I can. I will never discard anyone in need of help because I know how painful that is. I won't ever turn my back on someone in need. Especially if they went through the trouble of helping me, the least I can do for them is to come back to help them. At least then you'll know that someone cares."

Nathan knew he was helpless and couldn't really do much, but he wanted to help. A gesture that he cared about someone. He wanted to help people out. And he wanted to help Renji because he did the same for him. That was the kind of person Nathan was. Helpful and caring right to the very end.

Renji turned his head toward Ichigo and said, "Man, this guy makes it so hard to be mad at him."

Ichigo chuckled, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "We need to get you home as soon as possible. But I don't know when that gate's gonna open up again."

Just as he said that, the Garganta opened up above there heads. Rin must have opened a second one up for them to get back.

"Let's go." Ichigo helped Renji to his feet and, holding Nathan under his other arm, jumped through the portal above their heads and back home.

X

They dashed back and out the other side, falling to the cold floor. Ichigo looked back in time to see the door close behind them courtesy of Rin. He slammed it shut and locked the doors back up again. Then he turned his attention to the group on the floor.

"Are you all ok?"

"Just fine."

"Lieutenant Abarai, you're injured!"

Renji got up with Ichigo's help. "This is nothing, are you kidding? That guy just caught me off guard was all. I had to yell at these two to get moving."

"We have to get you to the Fourth Division immediately." Rin moved to help him to the door.

"I told you I'm fine. Nathan did a pretty good job of patching me up, actually. I'm surprised."

A girl came flying out of nowhere into Nathan's arms. "You idiot!" Rosalia hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. Then she pulled away and started to slap his shoulder. "How dare you make me worry like that! I thought you would have died! Why didn't you come back like they said with me? You fool!"

Nathan didn't mind the hitting. Her slaps weren't painful at all. If anything, they were playful. She just wanted to get her point across. "I'm glad to hear that you were worried about me. But I'm alright. I'm just happy that you are safe."

She gave him a firm look with her eyes, but she was fighting back a smile that read otherwise. She kissed his cheek calling him an idiot all over again.

As they all started to leave the room to get Renji some real medical treatment, Nathan called Ichigo's name.

"Ichigo… Thank you."

He turned around. "For what?"

"For helping me find her and get her back. You have no idea how much she means to me."

Yes, he did. He had seen things through his eyes and heard him talk about her all the time and seen what he did for her. He knew just how he felt. He understood more than Nathan knew.

"I would have helped you out no matter what. You're my friend. And even if you weren't I'd do it anyway. She was in trouble. And I couldn't let those guys have their way. You don't have to thank me."

Nathan held Rosalia's hand in his tightly. "I know. But thank you anyway."

X

"Damn it!" Raposa threw a broken table against the wall, shattering it completely. "I'll kill that bastard yet! Ichigo Kurosaki will pay!"

"Would you come off it, Raposa?" Serpiente snapped, tossing a tray aside. "You're not the only one who suffered here. Cercenar was injured going after them on your orders and all my research was lost thanks to them!"

"He ran right past you and you couldn't stop him!"

"I was holding up the data tower, which, by the way, I was holding up all by myself for God knows how long! Do you have any idea how heavy it is? I was lucky I could make a grab for him! Thanks for your help, by the way."

"Shut up!" Raposa kicked another table over in his anger. "Damn it all!"

Serpiente stood by the one remaining table that was moderately untouched watching Raposa throw his tantrum. He watched him shattered another glass jar before he opened his mouth to complain. "That's right. Break the last of my stuff. That'll make things go faster."

Raposa rounded on him like an angry bull. "What'd you just say?"

"You heard me! Destroy all my hard work! That'll solve all our problems."

"Keep your mouth shut! You're useless anyway!"

"Me? I was the one who found her in the first place! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't know where to begin at all! I'm the brain in all this! You need my know-how and you know it! If you don't like it, you can do it yourself!"

Raposa flipped over another table on his way over to Serpiente, sending another glass container flying to the floor.

"I needed that, too…" he sighed.

Raposa pinned Serpiente up against the wall behind him and shouted in his face. "Do you want to revert back? Huh? Do you? While we were under Aizen's protection, he promised us power. He promised us these forms!"

"He promised us a lot of things. Many of which, never happened. Don't you see? He views us as tools. He wouldn't lift a finger to save any one of us if we were in trouble. See how quick he was to kick you off the Espada?"

Raposa tightened his grip around Serpiente's throat. "Which means that without him, we can always change back!"

"You don't know that for sure." Despite having Raposa's hand around his neck, Serpiente was able to speak pretty clearly, without strain.

The self-appointed boss Arrancar brought his face closer to the smaller one in his grip. "Do you remember what it was like being a menos? Do you remember what it was like being just a mindless drone driven by maddening hunger? Do you want to change back into that? We're here the way we are now because of Aizen. And now that we're no longer under his command, what'll become of us? The treat of reverting back is all too real and you know that. And once we revert back, we can never taste this kind of power again. I will not let that happen!"

Raposa dropped Serpiente where he landed on his feet, seemingly unaffected by the assault. He stood staring at Raposa's back as he walked away frustrated.

"I want that girl back! She's our only hope now. I will not lose this!"

Serpiente would have retorted, but something caught his eyes. He looked down at the orange hairs wrapped around his closed fist. Ichigo's hairs. The ones he had ripped out of his head from before. Opening his eyes fully, Serpiente started thinking. These hairs gave him an idea.

* * *

Things are heating up! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: **

Fearing that the Arrancars would return for her, the Head Captain had allowed them to have round the clock protection from Soul Reapers. Ukitake volunteered some of his Squad members for the job. Nathan and Rosalia were returned home where they were greeted by a very happy Sashiro. The first thing he did was run up and hug them both. Rosalia was escorted into the house where she took a seat by the open window. Nathan didn't leave her side for a second. He gave her anything she asked for.

Ichigo stood outside their home as a Soul Reaper set himself up near the river where the first sighting of the Arrancars occurred. Wanting to help as well, Sashiro took a spot in the back of the house, keeping an eye out for bad guys on top of a barrel.

The orange-haired teen leaned against the outside of their home, listening to their conversation through the open window.

"How's it feel?" came Nathan's voice.

"Along." Rosalia's voice was calm and not as energetic as usual. She sounded like a loving mother waiting for her child. "Come over here and feel our baby kick."

Ichigo could hear Nathan's footsteps as he came over to where she sat and drop to his knees. There was silence.

"I feel them."

Rosalia giggled. "It's coming along wonderfully. Can you believe it? I'm having a baby. Me! A real live baby. Oh, how wonderful."

"It's wonderful. I can't believe it either."

There was another pause.

"Nathan?" Rosalia's voice sounded as soft and somber as the sound of a cello. "Do you think I will be a good mother? My own mother died giving birth to me. I never knew what it was like to have one. And you don't suppose the same fate awaits me as well, do you?"

"Not at all. And we'll have help. So many people want to help you bare this child. Captain Ukitake even offered to help in any way he could. He said even Unohana could deliver it when the time comes. She won't let anything go wrong. You'll be fine."

"But I don't know how to be a mom. What if I..?"

"You'll do fine. I've never been a father either. I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't think anyone does. It's new. But you'll be a fine mother. I know you will."

"But who do I model after if I have no mother of my own? What do I do?"

"What do I do? I have no idea what it's like to be a loving father. I never had a loving home. We're both in the same boat, I suppose. We'll just have to model after someone else. There are plenty of people to choose from. And your father will help in anyway he can, too. He promised to help you through this. I'm here for you, too. And so is Sashiro. Never forget that. We're all here for you. We love you. I love you."

Ichigo heard them shift, moving to hug each other. He focused on a bird overhead before working up the courage to look through the window. He made sure that only a tiny portion of his head was visible as he watched.

Nathan was on his knees rubbing Rosalia's stomach with both hands. She was sitting in a wooden chair facing the east wall. Nathan's head was turned away from Ichigo so he had no idea he was being spied on.

Rosalia lay a hand atop Nathan's, smiling. "What will it be, do you think?"

Nathan shook his head. "Doesn't matter to me."

"Boy or girl?"

He grinned looking at her round belly, moving his hand over the spot where he felt his child kick. He smiled as if fawning on a flower. The same smile he had for his wife.

"A girl would be nice. So sweet an gentle. I can picture it now. A picture of innocence. Her running down the hills towards me, her arms outstretched calling me 'daddy', her hands full of flowers. I see her dressed in frills, her hair done up in ribbons, always asking to be picked up. I can feel her hands around my neck as she gives me a hug, her lips on my cheek. I see her just as I see her mother. A radiant beauty no one deserves; a forbidden treasure."

Rosalia rubbed the back of his hand with hers. "Sounds lovely. And a boy?"

"A boy? A son of my own?"

Nathan smiled, contemplating it in his mind. At last he had an image.

"A boy I could call my son. I see him as a tiny Sashiro, in a way. Always trying to be tough, but inside, just as frail as any flower. I think he would be like me, too. Clumsy and nervous and a bit shy. I think he would want to be strong and show off. I see him competing a lot and playing rough."

Rosalia giggled. "A boy would be a bit of a handful."

"But I would do right by him. I would raise him right. I would never say the things my father said to me. I wouldn't point out all his faults and cast him aside. I wouldn't give up on him. I'd never call him hopeless. I would try to help him in any way I could, even if I end up messing up, too. I would tell him that it doesn't matter to me. That I'm proud of him anyway, no matter what. And I would teach him how to treat women. That they are not what he thinks. That they are delicate, beautiful creatures that must be treated with love and respect. That if a woman, no matter her size or looks, needs help, he must go back for her and help her. He must tell her that she matters. That all of them are as flowers. All beautiful in their own way, but need to have proper care. That he has a lot to offer them. That they are here to make him better. And I would see to it that he treats his mother with the same care and respect, because he is here only because of her."

He rested his head on her stomach as if listening to his child. He lay there for a long time without speaking.

"Boy or girl, I will love them no matter what. They matter. They are mine and I will tell them that everyday. I'll try my best to be a good father to them. I won't mess it up. I promise to love them no matter who they are. That much I can give."

Rosalia placed her hand on Nathan's head and patted him lovingly.

"Ichigo."

He turned away from the window and saw Renji, bandaged up, standing behind him.

"Yeah, what?"

"We've got to get back. Mission success or not, we have to report it. Everyone's waiting."

"Yeah, sure." Ichigo walked away from the house without looking back. He knew that they were safe now. They were together at home where they needed to be. "So that Soul Reaper's going to be keeping an eye on them, huh?"

"Yeah. He's scouting around for now. They're in good hands so you shouldn't worry about it."

"I'm not. Are you sure you're ok enough to be walking around like that?"

Renji looked down at the bandages showing under his robe. "It's just a scratch. Nothing I can't handle."

"It was enough to make you pass out."

"Shut up!" Renji led Ichigo out of the village. "By the way, before I forget, Nathan's going to be showing up later on to report as well. He has his side of the story, too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Would have done it sooner while we were all there, but he wanted to get her home and stay with her for a while. Understandable, I guess. The Head Captain allowed it, but he's not giving him much time. Only a couple hours. He'll join us in a bit. Then you can say good bye to him all you want."

They entered the Seireitei and walked down the street toward the main building. They didn't do much talking the way there. That suited Ichigo fine. He had nothing to say.

But then, something strange started to happen. His vision was failing him. He was having trouble seeing. He tried rubbing his eyes, but that did nothing to help. To make things worse, Renji was talking to him. He could see his lips move, but he couldn't hear him. He had gone deaf. He stopped and tried to call out to him, but couldn't tell if he was or not. The strange thing was that he hadn't decided to stop, either. His body had just froze up on him. His body was going numb. He couldn't feel if he was here or not. He was deaf, numb and slowly, his vision went completely black.

"Right, Ichigo?" Renji waited for an answer, but never got one. "Ichigo?"

He turned around and saw Ichigo standing there, wide-eyed and unmoving.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Still no answer from the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"Ichigo?"

His arm started to move. His hand clenched and unclenched as if testing it out for the first time. He did the same with his other hand.

"Ichigo?"

He raised his head, turning it left and right, then back at Renji. He took one step forward and then another. Then he stopped.

"What's wrong with you? Are you ok?"

Ichigo put a hand on his sword and vanished from sight.

X

When Ichigo finally regained his sight, he was standing on a staircase. He looked around. His hearing had returned as well. He could hear people talking from far away. But he wasn't in the same place he was before. And where was Renji? What happened to him just now? He didn't know how long he was out of it. It felt as if his entire body went into shut down. How did he get here? Was he staggering around and ended up here somehow?

"That was really weird. What happened to me?"

A passing Soul Reaper stopped on the stairs nearby. "Kurosaki?"

He looked up. "Oh, hey." He didn't know who this person was, but they knew him apparently.

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I was going to report what had happened to the old man with Renji, but I can't find him. Do you know where he is?"

The Soul Reaper's face fell. He looked back an forth as if expecting someone to stop him. "D- didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?" He had been deaf for who knew how long. Of course not.

"Renji Abarai has been attacked. He's in Squad Four's Division now getting treatment."

Ichigo felt as though his heart had taken a sucker punch. "What?"

"I know. And he was just released for his other injuries, too. He's in bad shape."

"Which why is the Fourth Division?" he demanded.

"Uh… that way." He pointed and Ichigo ran off.

X

"I'm sorry, but Renji Abarai isn't up for visitors right now. He was in critical condition when they found him. Someone reopened his chest wounds. He was bleeding out when they found him. He wasn't breathing, either."

Ichigo stood in front of the nurse dumbfounded. "H- how did this happen? When?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell you. I don't know myself. We just had him brought in a little while ago. From what we can tell, he was heading back to report." Then she gave him a concerned look. "Weren't you supposed to be with him at the time?"

Ichigo gulped. "I was… But… I don't know what happened. We got separated somehow, I think. He wasn't there anymore with me."

The nurse was called back inside, slamming the door in Ichigo's face.

_How? I was right there! He was attacked? In his weakened state, he didn't stand a chance. Who could have done this? Why couldn't I protect him? What the hell's going on?_

X

Deep underground in a cave-like dwelling, an Arrancar was hard at work. Focusing his energy around a small doll in a sphere of his own Spirit Energy, Serpiente smiled to himself. All his hard work was paying off. So far so good. He laid the doll down for a rest, taking his hands away. He sat back in his chair, feeling pretty proud of himself.

"Hey!" Raposa kicked open the door and came storming in. "I never told you that you could stop cleaning up. What the hell are you doing back here?"

"This _is _my room."

Raposa growled and turned away. "Cercenar won't stop his complaining. 'It hurts, it hurts! That Soul Reaper's gonna pay! Waaah!' I'm so sick of it!"

Serpiente shrugged. "Don't cry to me. I couldn't care less."

Raposa looked at the doll on the table in front of his comrade. "What's that?"

He looked down. "This? An experiment."

The taller Arrancar moved closer to examine the orange hairs wrapped around the doll's neck. They looked so familiar. With a nod, he understood. "Ah… Your little voodoo, huh? So you're controlling Kurosaki, are you?"

"Trying to. It's been so long since the last time I've done this. His movements were all choppy. I needed to test him out on a weakling. I think I killed him, the Soul Reaper he was with before."

"That's why you're doing this?"

"One of the reasons."

Raposa laughed. "It's a useful technique, I'll give you that. But it's kind of useless."

"That's a contradiction if ever I've heard one," Serpiente rolled his eyes.

"Well, let's look at the facts, shall we?" Raposa circled the desk as he spoke, viewing the doll and the man at the table from all angles. "You must have the DNA of the person you wish to control, you can only manipulate one person at a time, and you need full concentration to use it. You can't attack and use this power at once, meaning you're vulnerable when you use it. You can't do two things at once."

"Which is why I was back here away from you." Serpiente tilted back in his chair. "Relax. I've got things under control. The next time I use this, I'll have a better feel for it. No one will be able to tell the difference. Plus, I'll be able to control Ichigo Kurosaki more fully."

"How do you plan to use him exactly?"

Serpiente smiled. "Right now, I'm having a little fun killing off Soul Reapers. But I do have a plan. By the time I'm through, he'll be the most hated Soul Reaper in the whole Soul Society. They'll have no choice but to have him killed. Especially after he kills a captain."

"So that's your plan? How is that supposed to help us get that girl back?"

"Just sit tight. I told you, I have it covered. Trust me."

X

Without being allowed inside to visit Renji, Ichigo was forced to wonder around by himself outside. He still didn't understand what had happened. Was it possible that someone had done that to him in order to cover up the attack on Renji? It was very possible. Question now was how and why? And who would do such a thing? He knew the Arrancars weren't too happy with them now, but there was no way they could reach them here without someone knowing about it.

Ichigo stood up and went for another walk. The only thing he had to look forward to now was Nathan's visit. After he was finished with Rosalia he would come here to report what he knew. He was also looking forward to seeing the newborn baby when the time came. Nathan wanted him there to see it. He owed their whole relationship to Ichigo, according to him. He had brought them together and convinced Nathan to confess his love to her. Ichigo didn't hold himself responsible, but there was no way he could convince Nathan otherwise.

"Ichigo."

He looked up to see a very familiar face looking at him. "Hey, Byakuya."

The captain frowned at the lack of respect Ichigo presented to him. Nonetheless, he went on. "Come with me, please."

Ichigo turned and followed him. Byakuya led him away from the building and towards the Sixth Division barracks. "Where are we going?"

"I wanted to speak with you privately." After walking behind a wall, Byakuya turned to him. "My lieutenant was in your care at the time of his attack."

"You make it sound like I was babysitting the guy."

"I just find it odd that you were seen somewhere else during the time Renji was brought in when you were entering the Seireitei with him. Care to explain?"

Ichigo stood there looking at his feet. He was still beating himself up over this whole thing and now Byakuya was on his case. He didn't need this right now.

"Where were you when my lieutenant was attacked? Why weren't you there?"

He looked up. "I don't know."

Byakuya gave him a solemn look.

"I mean it. One minute everything's fine and the next, I can't see or hear anything. Even my body went numb. I had no feeling anywhere. I couldn't tell if I was standing or walking or anything."

The captain looked at him with the same pokerfaced expression he always carried. "Really? And why is that?"

"If I knew that why the hell would I be so upset and confused by it?"

Byakuya turned his back to Ichigo, looking up at the building behind him. His office was up there. Rukia was waving down to them. Byakuya understood her wordless message. Keeping his back to Ichigo, he spoke. "That man, Nathan, is going to be coming here soon. A Soul Reaper was just sent out to fetch him. One from Rukia's squad. He should be here soon. Perhaps he can shed some light on the situation."

For a long time Ichigo said nothing. Byakuya didn't expect him to. But when he chose to speak again, Byakuya certainly didn't expect what he got.

"Captain."

To anyone else, that would have been considered nothing. But to Byakuya, it was very significant. Ichigo never addressed him as 'captain' even when he asked him to. He always called him by his first name, even if it annoyed him greatly. And the way Ichigo spoke his title wasn't in his usual tone. In fact, that wasn't even his voice.

Cautiously, Byakuya turned his head back to look at him. "Ichigo?"

He was standing behind him, staring at his back.

"Ichigo?"

A smile started to spread. "Sorry. But I'm going to have to ask you to die for me."

Before Byakuya could react to this malicious statement, Ichigo lurched forward. Byakuya pulled out his sword to defend himself as Ichigo's came flying at his face.

"What on earth are you doing?"

Ichigo forced him back. "I told you to die. Can't you do it quietly? I didn't hear any complaints from the redhead."

Byakuya stared at him, wondering if he had heard him right. "What? Then you..?"

"Yeah… I did!"

Smiling like a madman, Ichigo twisted his body around, kicking Byakuya in the shoulder.

He had no choice but to fight.

Byakuya's sword clashed with Ichigo's with a loud clang. Sparks showered them both. Not caring about his own wellbeing, Ichigo pushed forward. He just wanted to hurt him. He wanted Byakuya dead. Byakuya turned and Ichigo was there to greet him. His sword was upon him once more, never giving him a chance to make a move to attack.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Ichigo slashed away at the captain, enjoying every minute of this. Byakuya had only seen this look on Ichigo's face once before and that was when he fought against his Hollow. It was so long ago now that Byakuya had almost forgotten. He was fighting and acting like that berserker. But his eyes were different. They had lost all their color and light. It was like looking into the eyes of a blind man. Could Ichigo even see him?

"Ichigo, what has gotten into you? Answer me!"

His words fell on deaf ears as Ichigo continued to attack him, never letting up for an instant.

"Stop this!"

"Die and I will!" Ichigo slashed him across the forearm.

Byakuya leapt back holding his arm with his free hand. Ichigo was going to kill him if he didn't fight back. Byakuya raised his sword and brought it down where Ichigo stood. His opponent disappeared and reappeared on his left. He swung at Ichigo. Taking an upward leap, Ichigo came back down on the weapon in Byakuya's hand. He was actually sitting on the blade. He cart-wheeled down the blade and kicked Byakuya in the face.

This wasn't Ichigo's usual fighting style. It was like fighting someone else.

Once again, Ichigo was in the air, flipping backwards over Byakuya's head. He turned his sword into an arrow and fired at the captain's head. He dodged it easily, but now Ichigo was weaponless. No he wasn't. Before his sword even hit the ground, Ichigo had jumped down and wrapped his legs around Byakuya's shoulder. He sat on him like a child on his father's shoulder at a fair. Byakuya twisted his body, trying to shake him off, but he wouldn't budge. Ichigo wrapped his hands around Byakuya's jaw and twisted his head back, trying to snap his neck.

Willingly, Byakuya fell over backwards, slamming Ichigo into the ground, his body pressing into his gut. Pinned beneath Byakuya, Ichigo couldn't get up. But that didn't stop him from fighting back. He held his hand out in front of Byakuya's face.

Byakuya looked at the hand, confused. More confused than either of them was Ichigo. He pulled his hand away frowning. "Damn. I can't fire a cero like this."

"A cero?" Byakuya questioned.

Without answering, Ichigo leaned down and started to bite Byakuya's face and neck. Escaping the vicious attack by rolling off Ichigo, Byakuya stood up, holding his bleeding face. Now Ichigo was free as well. He got to his feet and grabbed his sword, throwing it like a Frisbee at him.

Byakuya deflected it with his own sword. No sooner had he done that did Ichigo appear in his face once more, punching him. The blow sent Byakuya reeling backwards. Ichigo slid his feet across the ground, sending up a dust cloud around his ankles, tracking his movements. He zigzagged across the ground before stopping just short of where Byakuya stood waiting for him and flashed away. He reappeared on a rooftop and jumped down, his fist up and ready.

Seeing the attack from the corner of his eyes, Byakuya jumped straight up, avoiding it with only a second to spare. Ichigo smiled and jumped up with him, halting his previous attack. Byakuya flashed to a roof and, keeping an eye on Ichigo, broke into a run. He was leading him away from the barracks and out toward the main streets where they would have more room to fight.

At first Ichigo was keeping up with him from another roof, then he was gone. Before Byakuya could react, Ichigo made his move. He swooped down from behind Byakuya and hoisted him up. Byakuya's feet left the roof and the next thing he knew, he was in the air, at Ichigo's mercy. He wrapped his legs around Byakuya's taller form and leaned back into a nose dive. Byakuya saw the sky, then the ground below, coming up fast. With no escape they both went smashing into the ground together. At the last second, Byakuya had made himself as small as possible in Ichigo's arms, avoiding hitting the ground headfirst the way Ichigo had planned it. Ichigo took the brunt of the impact with his left shoulder. Despite the impact, Ichigo skillfully raised himself up, straddling Byakuya. He took up his sword, switching it to an underhand grip and pointed it at Byakuya's chest.

"What the hell's going on?"

"Are you two fighting? For real?"

"This can't be a sparring match, can it?"

"Are you really trying to kill him?"

Ichigo looked up toward the crowd of Soul Reapers gathering around them. Despite knowing how this looked and knowing that he had been caught, Ichigo only smiled and turned back to Byakuya. "Want me to give them a show, Captain? Or would you rather I finished you off here and now?"

That wasn't Ichigo's voice. He didn't sound like that. His voice was so cold and haunting. It was creepy. And those weren't his eyes and that wasn't his smile. This wasn't Ichigo. Not the real one. It couldn't be.

"Hey, get off our captain!"

Ichigo looked back at the Soul Reapers, smiling. "Oh? And why would I do that? We were just having a bit of fun."

Byakuya kept his cool under Ichigo, never flinching or saying a word to him. He wasn't even resisting. He only tensed up when Ichigo brought his face closer, holding his sword by his head in one hand. Too tall to keep up, Ichigo laid it flat on the ground beside them, still holding onto it.

Ichigo moved his face closer to Byakuya, as if to whisper something in his ear. Instead, he started sniffing his face and neck. His pink tongue wormed past his lips, licking Byakuya's cheek. Byakuya's whole body seized up on him at the touch. He blew against the trail of saliva he left on Byakuya's face and cackled. "This is so much fun. I love playing with my prey. I love the reactions. And I love that look on your face. It's priceless."

"That is creepy as hell, man!" one Soul Reaper shouted in the crowd.

That only made Ichigo laugh again.

This close, Byakuya could see Ichigo's eyes clearly. They held no light. It was as if someone had pulled a veil down behind his eyes, cutting them off from the world. He couldn't see him. Those were the eyes of a blind man. And yet, they held a glimmer in them. It was almost undetectable, but Byakuya found them. Those weren't Ichigo's eyes.

The eyes looked back at him and then pulled away. Ichigo pulled his sword back up, releasing his hold on Byakuya's arm. "Let's finish this, Soul Reaper."

"Hado 31, Shakkaho." Freeing that arm allowed Byakuya to attack.

To avoid the attack, Ichigo had no choice but to get off him. He jumped off Byakuya and stood a few feet away. Byakuya stood up, staring Ichigo down. He didn't feel very threatened no matter how hard Byakuya stared. He threw his sword at Byakuya. The Captain adroitly avoided the attack.

Ichigo slid across the ground like a serpent and, true to their nature, struck with a powerful lunge. Thinking that he was going to be toss up again or punched, Byakuya got ready to defend himself from the attack.

But he was tricked once more. Ichigo was behind him, punching him in the side of his head. Byakuya was tossed to the ground. He looked up and saw Ichigo jumping from above down towards him, hoping to smash his skull in with his heels. There was no time to flash step or block. He did a somersault away and stood up. But Ichigo was no longer there. The next thing he felt was a pressure tightening around his throat. Ichigo had come up behind him and started to straggle him with his scarf.

"Stop it!"

"Stop, Ichigo!"

"Enough!"

"Let go of him!"

"Let go now!"

The Soul Reapers had had enough. They all rushed in to help their captain. Wrong move. Releasing Byakuya, Ichigo grabbed his sword and flashed into the crowd. One by one, they all fell as Ichigo picked them off in turn. He slashed at their ribs and legs. He went for their throats and their arms. Zigzagging through the group, Ichigo picked them all off, one slice from his sword after another. They all fell into a scarlet pool which grew as more men fell to the ground in defeat. Ichigo stood behind them all, the end of his blade soaked with fresh blood. He turned, smiling.

"And now you die, Captain."

Byakuya just stood there, not knowing what to think. Did he really just slaughter his men like that?

From above, the windows in the building behind them were blocked out one by one. Soul Reapers were crowding around to see what was going on. Several of them had figured it out and swarmed the street outside, ready to fight.

"Captain Unohana!"

The woman with braided hair stopped and looked up, her arms full of herbs from her garden.

"This way!" Hisagi led his men out of the building and outside.

More Soul Reapers started to flood the outside, all wanting to stop Ichigo's bloody rampage by any means necessary.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice was overlapped by many others, screaming to the teen and captain. "Ichigo!"

Hearing about the fight from a passing Soul Reaper in the hall, Soi Fon turned on her heels and ran outside to where a heavy crowd had gathered. "I'll stop him in two strikes." She dawned her weapon.

"Ichigo!"

He stood facing the captain of Squad 6, still smiling. "Looks like I'm in trouble, huh?"

Bleeding all over his white jacket and scarf, Byakuya, still in shock, stared back at him.

Ichigo held up his weapon. "Better finish you off quickly before I get myself killed, hm?"

Laughing all the way, Ichigo moved in for the kill.

"Captain, move!"

"Stop, Ichigo!"

"Kurosaki!"

"Ichigo!"

Soi Fon, using people as steppingstones, ran to the front of the crowd, ready to stop him the only way she knew how. She brought her weapon up and got ready to jump.

Seeing the captain of Squad 2 coming right at him, Rukia screamed his name once more, fighting through the crowd. "Ichigo!"

Something flew out of the crowd and into Ichigo's neck. That stopped his attack cold. He stood there, pressing a hand to the dart clinging to his skin. He looked back at Byakuya and grinned. "Better luck next time, huh?" With that, he fell forward onto the ground.

Soi Fon stopped, seeing Ichigo fall at her feet before she even landed a single strike. "What's this?"

"My doing." The crowd parted, revealing Unohana standing there with a dart blower in her hand. "I didn't think it was right to have him killed without knowing what was going on. You wanted him stopped so I used a less fatal way of doing the job."

"You hit him with a poison dart?"

"No. Just a tranquilizer. I filled the dart with Shinten. More than a few drops were in it, so I figured it would be enough to sedate him. But I also added some of my own concoctions so it's very powerful."

Several Soul Reapers came rushing out of the crowd and over to Byakuya who had fallen to one knee. He stood strong for as long as he could. "Are you alright, sir?"

He gave a shaky nod.

"What happened here?"

Byakuya panted, looking down at Ichigo on the ground. "He… attacked me."

Just coming in, accompanied by a Soul Reaper, was Nathan. He had just finished catering to Rosalia and came to report to the Head Captain as instructed. Along the way, he came across a huge crowd of Soul Reapers. Curious, he moved closer. Everyone was talking at once so it was difficult to hear what was going on. He pushed his way through to get a closer look at what was going on.

"Ichigo attacked a captain! He tried to kill Byakuya! He must die for this!"

What Nathan heard made his heart pulsate in his throat. He pushed through the crowd to the front. But more Soul Reapers were pressing in on him, forcing him back into the crowd.

"He broke the law! Ichigo Kurosaki must face the ultimate punishment!"

"Kill him!"

"He must be brought to justice!"

"What?" Nathan gasped. He jumped up and down trying to see over all the taller Soul Reapers in the crowd. He could see Ichigo laying face down on the ground in front of Soi Fon and a bloody Byakuya who was held up by many Soul Reapers.

"You can't have him killed! What's with all of you? Ichigo is our friend! He wouldn't do this!"

"That's right! What do we really know here?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki would never do this without a reason!"

"Captain, what happened here? What did he do? What did he say to you? What happened?"

Byakuya looked from the crowd back to Ichigo on the ground. He wrung the words from his lips. "Ichigo Kurosaki attacked me with the intent to kill. And he admitted to injuring Renji Abarai. And I watched him attack my squad members in cold blood before my very eyes."

The crowd started to shout and murmur. Nathan refused to believe it. Ichigo wasn't that type of person. He would never do such a thing. But his opinion lost out to the crowd's rage. They wanted the substitute to pay.

"Put him in Squad Six's holding cell and we'll deal with him later." Byakuya limped away with help from a few Soul Reapers. "He'll await judgment from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. That is the law. We must keep to our rules."

Nathan pushed his way through the crowd and out the back, watching as they carried Ichigo off. He refused to believe it. He had to find someone who would listen to him. He may have just walked in on all this, but he knew Ichigo was innocent.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Ichigo was taken to a holding cell in the Sixth Division and chained to the wall like a psychotic criminal. He was still out cold, but no one was going to take any chances. They took away his Zanpakuto and had guards outside the door every minute of the day. He was watched like a hawk so Nathan couldn't get near him.

After Ichigo was confined to his cell, Nathan went in search of Rukia for help. He asked if there was anything that could be done. What she told him was grim.

"Because Ichigo attacked my brother, a captain, even if we took away all the other things he's done, it wouldn't matter. He would still be charged and sentenced to death. It is illegal to attack a captain and is punishable by death. They're going to hold a meeting to decide what to do, but it doesn't look good."

Something had to be done. Rukia tried to plead with her brother to see things her way and let Ichigo off easy or to further investigate, but he refused. The law was clear. No one would listen to her and no one was even going to hear what Nathan had to say. He wasn't even a Soul Reaper. What did his word have within these walls?

Distraught and confused, Nathan took to pacing outside the prison were two guards stood outside the door. He had to help Ichigo. This wasn't like him. He couldn't have done this. And even if he did, he must have had a good reason to do so. But what could he do to help his friend? They were right. He wasn't a Soul Reaper, he couldn't fight. He didn't even have his powers anymore. He had lost them when he became a full soul. And that only happened with Ichigo's help. He owed him so much. He was his friend. What good was he now? He was powerless.

"You there."

Nathan turned around. "Y- yes?"

A woman was standing behind him by the wall, her hands folded in front of her. "Are you Ichigo Kurosaki's friend? That boy he helped?"

"I- I… don't know… I suppose."

"Is your name Nathan?"

"Yes."

She turned around. "Follow me."

Nathan hurried to catch up to her as she led him further away from the prison. "W- wait! Who are you? What's your name, miss? Miss?"

Without turning around, she told him. "Nemu."

"Nemu? Well, miss Nemu, what exactly are we..?"

She pulled him down a deserted hall and up against the wall. "I want to help you." She pulled something out of her sleeve. "With this. My father made it. It's experimental, but it's been tested and should work for you."

"What is it?"

Nemu held up a dark blue bracelet with a skull on the buckle. "This device allows the wearer to regain his lost Spiritual Powers. If your Soul Chain has been severed or your Spirit Ribbon slashed, it returns the powers you have lost back to you for as long as you're wearing it. We've tested it on Soul Reapers who have been severely injured or have lost their Spirit Powers. We wanted to test it on Rukia the first time when she had lost her powers, but she regained them before we had the chance."

Nathan tried to understand. "So what you're saying is… that if I put it on..?"

"You get your powers back. The ones you lost from before."

"It can do that? Really? But what about-?"

"The risks? Don't worry about that. Now that you are a true soul, you'll have no reason to fear disappearing. It's perfectly safe."

Nathan took it from her and turned it over in his hand carefully. It wasn't very heavy. It didn't feel like metal either, though it did have that cool metallic feeling to it. He unbuckled it and wrapped the bracelet around his wrist and adjusted the strap to the right size. The skull buckle automatically locked itself into position the moment it adjusted to his wrist size.

He stared at it in wonder. No sooner was it on his person did he feel its power flow through him. He felt useful again, like he could truly do something. It made him feel strong. "I… Thank you. I don't know what to say." A thought occurred to him. "But why are you doing this? Why help me?"

Nemu's face remained unchanged, though her voice had gotten a bit softer. "I do not believe that Ichigo is capable of such atrocities. There is no way he would act like that. Even if he had a reason to attack those men, I know for a fact that it wasn't truly his doing."

"Oh? Explain. How do you mean?"

Nemu looked around the hall and nodded towards one of the windows nearby. "I saw his fight by one of those windows. The way he moved was all off. Part of being a member of Squad 12 means that you pay attention to detail. No matter how small or insignificant it may appear on the outside, there is always something deeper. When I saw him fight, his movements were all off. Even in a battle, each person has distinct mannerisms. Ichigo never unhands his own weapon in the middle of a fight. And I've never seen him grapple like that before. And when he had the captain pinned like that… It was all off. That wasn't him."

Nathan was so relieved to know that someone else agreed with him and wasn't afraid to help him get that out in the open. "But why are you giving me this?"

"Because of your abilities. I'm giving them back to you so that you can help prove Ichigo's innocents."

"Then why don't you help me do that? You're a witness, Miss Nemu. You can speak out and let them know what you saw."

"Unfortunately that is not my place. I cannot do that. Technically, I am not even allowed to be speaking with you now on the subject or giving this to you. If I tamper any further, my father will break me into pieces. I can't get involved anymore than I already have. And here no one can see us. But for me to go anywhere near Ichigo's holding cell would attract attention from multiple people and they'd report it."

Just when Nathan was beginning to feel hopeful again, something else came along to ruin it. Now that he had the power he once had, what was he to do now? "But how do I get to him with those guards around? I'm not allowed in."

Nemu turned her back to him. "The Fourth Division's duty is to clean the holding cells. One should be along soon. Ask him to help you." She walked away and disappeared down another hall, Nathan's 'thank you' chasing after her.

He tucked the bracelet under his sleeve and walked forward back toward the holding cell. "Ok, I've got this. Now what do I do? I know what I have to do, but I can't. I don't have a clear plan. I need to get to him, but I can't get in his cell. What do I do?"

Nathan was too busy to notice the Soul Reaper passing by in front of him until it was too late. Nathan ran straight into him and both ended up on the floor. A broom smacked Nathan in the head.

"Ow… I'm sorry. Are you ok?"

"No, it's my fault."

The two looked at each other.

"Hanataro?"

"Nathan? Hey, it's been a while. How are you doing?"

Nathan got up, helping Hanataro to his feet and handing the broom back to him. "I've been batter, I'll say that much."

Hanataro understood. "I know… Ichigo… I can't believe it, either. I don't want to believe it, but…"

"He didn't do it."

"Huh?" Hanataro looked up.

Nathan showed him his bracelet. "I got this device that gives me back my lost powers, risk free. The person, Nemu, who gave this to me told me that they witnessed Ichigo acting strangely. That he wasn't himself. So I plan to use this to see inside Ichigo's head and find out what's going on with him."

"R- really? But how do you plan to do that?"

"I'll have to get close. I have to be inside his cell." Nathan hung his head in defeat. "But I have no way to do that since I'm not allowed in."

"Well, I can help with that. I'm going in to clean his cell right now. I'm allowed to go in. I can try to sneak you in with me."

"Really? That would be wonderful!"

Hanataro chuckled nervously. "It would be deceitful, but if it's to help Ichigo…"

Not wasting any more time, Hanataro led the way to Ichigo's holding cell. The guards predictably stopped them.

"Don't worry," Hanataro explained. "I'm here to clean the cell. I've been given permission. It's my duty."

One of the guards looked at Nathan suspiciously. "And what about him?"

Hanataro looked back. "Oh, him? He's here to assist me so it won't take so long. You want us done fast, right?"

The guards looked at each other then stepped away. "Make it fast."

The two went in as quickly as they could and the door shut behind them.

"There he is," Hanataro breathed.

Nathan looked into the cell in front of them. Ichigo was exactly where they had left him: chained to the wall like an animal. He was still unconscious, but that didn't matter. Nathan didn't need him to be awake for this. In fact, it was better for him to be asleep. "Can you open his cell?"

"Yeah." Hanataro went over to the bars, sliding a key through the lock and opening the door with a creak. He stepped aside for Nathan.

Cautiously, Nathan moved inside the cell. He stood in front of Ichigo, looking at his blank face. "Ichigo?" He made no response.

"Please hurry, Nathan," Hanataro warned.

He nodded. He moved closer. Ichigo was positioned with his whole body strapped to the wall. His feet weren't even touching the ground. This meant that Nathan had to get up on his toes to be at face level with him. Nathan pulled himself up, placing his hands on Ichigo's shoulder for support.

This was Ichigo's face. This was him. Nathan knew that. He moved closer. He had to form the 'seal'.

"Ichigo… Let me see through your eyes. Let me into your mind."

And with those words, Nathan sealed off Ichigo's lips with his own.

It all happened in a flash of warmth. The familiar feeling of his forgotten power came so naturally to Nathan, like a talent that was always there, just unused for a long period of time. Inside Ichigo's mind, Nathan had complete excess to everything Ichigo had. All his actions, his memories, his personality, everything was his to look up and use for himself. But Nathan wasn't interested in using Ichigo as his personal life-sized puppet. He wanted to know what was going on inside of him. And to do that, he had to go in deeper.

Nathan swam further into Ichigo's mind and into his subconscious. In a burst of light, Nathan broke out of the darkness and into a very strange place. There were buildings everywhere, only they were all sideways. And so was the sky. And yet he could stand perfectly where he was on top of a window. He wandered around in awe, staring at everything around him. So this was Ichigo's subconscious. His inner world.

"Another one? For crying out loud, King's going to have to start charging rent with all these bastards coming in like this."

That sounded sort of like Ichigo, only much more malice and sadistic. This voice was cold and full of venom.

Nathan turned and faced a white Ichigo. He stumbled back in shock. "Wh- who are you?"

"I should be asking you that, boy…" he hissed. "How in the hell did you get in here?"

"I- I- I- I…"

The white doppelganger started to laugh.

"I- I'm N- N- Nathan… a- and I- I… c- came in through… um…"

The white Ichigo raised his hand threateningly, taking a step closer. "Like I care. At least I finally get to kill something. I was getting pretty bored."

"W- wait!" Nathan threw up his hands to protect himself. "I was just trying to help Ichigo! Please don't kill me!"

"Help him how? By taking over his body? Ha! That's my job."

"Then you're the one who attacked those people and blamed it on Ichigo?"

The man stopped. "What are you talking about?"

Nathan stumbled back panting. "Ichigo's being blamed for attacking a captain and several other Soul Reapers. Are you responsible?"

"No."

Now Nathan could get a good look at the man before him. He looked just like Ichigo only white and evil-looking. Though his eyes were that of something else. A Hollow's eyes.

"Are you… a Hollow?"

He grinned. "So what if I am? Who cares?"

Nathan tried to remain calm. But looking at this man reminded him of Rodger, the man who turned Hollow and attacked him. The one he nearly died fighting. The eyes of an evil man. Even the chill he got for this man was the same. He felt as if he would be strangled any second for just standing still or for looking at him.

He had to be strong. "Ichigo attacked people and they imprisoned him for it. A few people believe that he was being manipulated from the inside. So you're not the one doing it?"

"No. I've been here for as long as I can remember. But that can't be right." Hollow Ichigo sat on the ground. "I didn't sense anything like that. I live in his majesty. I would know."

So he wasn't the one doing it. Then who was?

Just as Nathan was about to move away to look further, the Hollow stood up again. "And where do you think you're going? This is my home. I'm not about to let someone else move in here and compete with me for his body. I'm getting it and that's that."

Nathan backed away. "B- but you can't kill me!"

"Give me one reason why I can't." The Hollow moved closer, a wicked smile on his face.

"Because I'm trying to help Ichigo! I don't want to take over his body! I just want to help him!"

"Help? Help him how exactly?" The white Ichigo was upon him. He grabbed Nathan's neck and started to squeeze, enjoying the feeling of another's life in his hands. He was going to slaughter him.

"Gah!" Nathan gasped for air as the Hollow tightened his grip. "B- be- because… Be- because they're going to h- have I- Ichigo executed f- for it!"

The other man stopped. "What was that?" He didn't sound frightened. Just intrigued. He loosened his grip slightly.

"They're going to have Ichigo killed for doing those crimes unless I can prove he's not responsible!"

The Hollow dripped him. "Why didn't you say so sooner? It's a real problem for me if he gets himself killed. Where will I go? I can't let himself get killed. What an idiot!"

Nathan gasped for breath and slowly stood back up, rubbing his neck. "So… you say that you are a part of Ichigo? You're his other self? An alter ego?"

The man shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

"Then you must know Ichigo's mind pretty well, right?"

"I've got nothing better to do here."

"Then you can help me." Nathan knew what he had to do now. "I need to get into a certain part of Ichigo's mind. A control room of sorts. I need to get to where Ichigo's brain functions are located. The subconscious ones. There are two inside every person. One is located in the front of the mind, those are conscious actions, the ones you act upon willingly. The ones I'm looking for are in the back. Those are the ones that are all instinctive, subconscious actions, the ones he doesn't have to think upon. I have a feeling that that's where I need to go. Do you know it?"

The Hollow smirked. "Maybe. How else do you think I can take control of him? But he's locked the door the last time he was here, so to speak; locking me out."

"That doesn't matter. I can get in. I'm not a part of Ichigo's mind. Anything is fair game for me. I can do it. Please take me there."

Hollow Ichigo folded his arms and snorted. "And why should I help you?"

The answer came quick to Nathan. "Because in a way, I'm also helping you."

He raised a brow at him. "Go on."

"If Ichigo gets killed, you die, too, correct? Your lives are linked. So if I manage to find out what's really going on and prove his innocents, then he won't be sentenced to death, thus saving both of your lives. I'm helping you as much as I am him."

He turned his white face up, looking at the building overhead, thinking. Then he looked back and sighed. "I suppose you do have a point… I won't like it, but alright. Follow me."

Nathan followed the white Ichigo over many buildings and inside a long tower under their feet. A white hand reached out and pulled him inside. The building was completely hollow inside. No floors, no walls, not even furniture. It was totally empty. Not only that, but it was much wider than in looked from the outside. Another thing he noticed was that they were both floating inside the dark space as if someone had switched off the gravity.

"That's it down there." Hollow Ichigo pointed to a dark spot at the far end of the structure that just looked like a dark puddle to Nathan.

Nathan swam closer trying to get a better look. "That's where I need to go? I guess I could just swim through it and come out on the other side… So that's his control room, eh?"

The other man gave no response.

"I wasn't thinking out loud. I was asking you if…" Nathan turned and saw the Hollow floating upside-down near the entrance. "Sir?"

He gave the Hollow a nudge and managed to turn him around. The white man's eyes were dull and lifeless. The dark pupils had dilated so thoroughly that they now blended in perfectly with darkness of his eyes.

"Mister Hollow, sir?"

He didn't answer.

Just when Nathan was about to consider the possibility that he was dead, he felt a powerful jolt resonate from the other side of the building near the entrance to Ichigo's second control room. "What in the world?"

It shook the whole building, forcing Hollow Ichigo to the ceiling. Nathan didn't waste any time. That force was coming from that dark pool on the other side. He kicked off from where he was and soared into it head-on.

Passing through was surprisingly cold, but the room inside was perfectly warm. He looked around at the inside of Ichigo's control room. It wasn't filled with buttons or wires or anything like that. It was dark and slimy. There was a disgusting goop dripping from the walls and ceiling, spreading every which way. Nathan landed right in a puddle of it with a sickening squish. This was a first for him. Usually if he ever wondered this deep inside of a person, their control rooms were much cleaner and had at least some light in them. The only light was the occasional flash from brain signals coursing through the walls and out to the rest of the body.

"Something's not right here."

Nathan carefully walked across the squishy floor and over to the center of the function room. This was where he could gain full control over Ichigo's body for as long as he wished without anyone knowing about it. Not even Ichigo himself. But there was a problem. There was already something it his place.

An eerie green light. It looked like Spiritual Pressure but a lot darker. A negative energy.

He moved closer and very carefully reached out with his left hand to touch it.

It was like sticking his hand into a electrical socket. It sent a wave of painful electricity throughout his body, burning him as it went. Just as he was about to let go, he heard a voice. It was soft, like someone speaking to him through a glass window with the wind blowing on either side. But he could make it out clearly.

"I thought I told you to help out, Serpiente!"

"Since when are you my boss, Cercenar? Go away! You're making me lose my focus!"

He knew those voices. The Arrancars!

As they spoke, he could feel the energy around him die out little by little. Was it because the Arrancar was losing his concentration?

"Are you finished using that boy yet? I thought he was going to die already!"

"Shut up and get out! I'm losing him!"

"Whatever! At least I don't play with dolls!"

"It's voodoo, Cercenar and you know it! Now shut up before-"

The energy around Nathan suddenly cut off and he fell back onto the dark gooey ground. And not a moment too soon. That powerful jolt had burned Nathan's arm severely. The pain wasn't just in his head. It was really happening. His arm was bright red and bleeding to prove it. Holding it close to his chest, Nathan stood up and crawled back out the way he came.

He passed through without a problem and floated back toward Hollow Ichigo. As soon as he was at his side, he sprang back to life, his eyes regaining their gold color. He looked down at Nathan who was staring at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go through."

"I just did. That's how this happened." Nathan held up his injured arm.

"Say what? How? I was just here and now you..? When?"

"Just now."

"But I was talking to you now."

Now Nathan understood. "I see… The Arrancars from before are using some kind of witchcraft on Ichigo. And while they're using it, both of you must freeze up, allowing them full control."

"Huh?"

"You were unresponsive a minute ago, but the second they relinquished control, you came back. That's why you didn't notice anything. You were frozen in time. That's what's been going on. It's those Arrancars again!"

X

Nathan leapt out of Ichigo's body and onto the floor of his cell. He crawled out the door and closed it behind himself. He noticed Hanataro standing with his back to the wall directly across from Ichigo's cell looking terrified. "What's wrong?"

Hanataro whimpered softly. "W- were you d- doing that stuff just now?"

"What stuff?"

Hanataro pointed at Ichigo. "Just a minute ago, he started freaking out, telling me to come closer so he could strangle me! Then all of a sudden, he stopped moving and went just like that again."

Nathan looked. Ichigo was still hanging motionless against the wall, suspended by chains and locks. He was still out cold.

"I thought it was strange because Captain Unohana's drugs should still be in effect. That's why I thought it was you manipulating him from the inside."

Nathan stared at Ichigo for a moment and realized something. "Only from the inside…"

"Huh?" Hanataro moved closer to hear his whispers.

"It's not Ichigo."

"Huh? It's not?"

Nathan looked down at Hanataro. "N- no. What I mean is, Ichigo's not in control of his actions. He's being manipulated from the outside. Someone's been controlling him all along. The one that just threatened you now was an Arrancar. I felt it while I was inside him. He's controlling Ichigo."

Hanataro looked more confused than ever, but more worried than anything. "Wait. So an Arrancar's doing this? But then why was he moving just now? He shouldn't be able to while he's sedated."

"That's how I know that someone's doing it from afar. It was the same way with me. I could take full control of Ichigo while he was unconscious. This Arrancar must be able to do the same."

"But if the drugs had no effect on him, then why did he collapse out there in front of everyone?"

He knew the answer to that as well. "He must have wanted everyone to think that it was Ichigo down to the very end. If he was still up and moving about, then they would know that something was up."

"Oh, I see."

There was a knock on the door. "Hurry up in there!"

"Yes, sirs!"

Hanataro and Nathan quickly gathered their stuff and ran out the door and out into the hall. They had to talk to someone who would listen to them. But no one would hear of it and they knew that. They went around the corner and outside. Halfway down the stairs, Hanataro noticed Nathan's injured arm and started to heal it on the spot.

This gave Nathan time to think. Nemu told him that no one was allowed to help and that no one was even allowed to visit Ichigo in his cell. Even Rukia was told to stay away. How would they be able to help convince everyone that Ichigo was innocent?

After healing Nathan, Hanataro looked up at him warily. "There's… going to be a captains meeting in a half hour. There was an announcement while you were inside Ichigo. They're… going to discuss his execution."

"What?" Nathan sprang to his feet. "We have to stop this!"

"I know, but only captains are allowed inside! And There's no way to sway anyone's decision. Rukia's already tried to talk to Captain Kuchiki, but he said that it wasn't up to her. It's up to the court now."

"But I have proof now!"

"I know! But even so…" Hanataro had another thought cross his mind at that time as well. "But even if they would listen to you, it wouldn't matter. Even if they let you talk to one of the captains and they listened, it wouldn't solve anything. To them, you're a nobody. You're just a soul. In any case, you'd get in trouble with the court for going in to see Ichigo in the first place. And you'd get Nemu in trouble for giving that bracelet to you in the first place. Her father's one of the captains."

Nathan paced the ground trying to think and calm himself down at the same time. This wasn't working out. He gave up pacing and started to walk around the building instead. Hanataro followed him until he was called away by a member of Squad 4, telling him that they needed his help in the sickbay. Nathan continued on his own for a while.

How was he supposed to help Ichigo like this? He knew that he was innocent but he couldn't get the message to anyone who would listen to him. He felt helpless all over again.

"Something wrong?"

Nathan jumped and spun around. "Oh. Oh, it's you."

Renji walked up behind him, his chest heavily bandaged and his kimono draped over his shoulders. "They released me on the condition that I don't do any kind of training and don't go off fighting something. I was told to rest at my barracks. What are you doing out here?"

Nathan looked at the ground. "I… was trying to help Ichigo."

"Oh?"

"He's…" What was the harm in telling Renji the truth? He wasn't a captain. "He's being controlled by an Arrancar! I don't know why… But one of those men from back in that desert got control over Ichigo and are making him do all these things. He's going to be killed if we don't do something!"

"Ah-ha! I knew it!" Renji pumped his fist up as if he had just won a bet. "I knew something was up by the way he was acting! When Ichigo attacked me back there, it looked like someone was using puppet strings on his limps. He was moving all wrong. I knew it!"

"You know? Then you can help me!" Nathan's eyes lit up with hope once more.

At least until Renji's smile went away and he let out a sigh. "Sorry. That's up to the captain's now. We can't interfere with the court's ruling."

Nathan felt all the air go out of his lungs. "So… there's nothing that we can do for him..?"

"Not unless you're a captain, like Byakuya up there." Renji pointed to a window high above their heads where Byakuya could be seen passing by. "He must be getting ready to go to the meeting now."

Seeing him pass by the window gave Nathan a sudden idea. Perhaps if he was the captain…

A smile crept onto his face. "Maybe if I was… Yes, of course! That's it!"

"What's it?"

"I can possess Byakuya's body and go to the meeting in his stead! That way the court will have to listen to me! I'll be in Byakuya's body! I'll be a captain and everyone will think that it's him!"

Renji looked from Nathan to the open window overhead. "That would make sense… You know, that's just crazy enough to work! Great idea!" Then he turned back to Nathan. "Just one problem. You don't have your powers anymore."

Nathan laughed happily, holding up his bracelet. "Not quite! I got this from another Soul Reaper here. It gives me back my powers!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Nathan removed it from his wrist and handed it over to Renji. "See? While I'm wearing it, I can use all my powers again. It's perfect! I'll be able to possess Byakuya easily."

Renji smiled. "Great. Let's do it."

Nathan looked back at the window. "Now, we'll just have to get up there before he leaves…"

"No problem. I know a shortcut." Renji took out his sword, unleashing his shikai.

"W- wait. What are you doing?" Nathan backed up.

"You wanna get up there fast or do you wanna waste time?" Renji stood behind Nathan with his sword. "I'll get you up there in no time at all. Just get on Zabimaru and I'll get you up there fast."

"B- but…"

"Today before Ichigo dies, ok?"

"Ok! Ok!"

Renji told Nathan exactly what he wanted him to do and he did it. While Renji held out his zanpakuto, Nathan stepped onto the flexible blade and crouched down holding on carefully to the back of the weapon for support. Renji stood parallel to the building, looking up at the open window above them.

"Get ready."

Nathan nodded and gulped. He knew exactly what Renji was going to do.

And with perfect timing, Byakuya reappeared in the window looking out at the sky calmly.

"Now!" Renji bent his blade back with Nathan crouched on top and swung like a tennis player towards the open window. Nathan was slingshot off the weapon and into the sky with incredible speed. He soared straight towards the window where Byakuya stood.

In order to enter someone's body, he had to enter through their mouth. He had to aim for Byakuya's lips and make contact with his own.

By the time Byakuya had time to look down, Nathan was already in his face. Nathan slowed as he reached the end of his momentum and chose that time to strike. He threw his head forward and crashed his lips against Byakuya's.

When Nathan opened his eyes, he had expected to see the world from Byakuya's perspective. Instead, he found himself staring straight into the eyes of a very perturbed captain. Both were frozen in shock, though the reasons were completely different.

Nathan was beside himself. Why hadn't it worked? It should have. He had done everything right.

"Hey, Nathan!"

He looked down and saw Renji holding up something in his hands.

"Don't you need to be wearing this?" He was holding up the bracelet.

Nathan's face twitched and rubbed his bare wrist in a mixture of embarrassment and rage.

By this time, Byakuya had snapped out of his shock and slammed the window shut in Nathan's face and the blond descended to the ground. Renji reached out and caught Nathan before he hit the ground and set him down. Only Nathan wasn't very grateful.

"Why didn't you tell me I wasn't wearing the bracelet?"

"Why didn't you ask?"

Nathan growled in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair, snatching the bracelet back from Renji and putting it on again. He was powerless without it. And they just missed their only chance to carry out their plan.

"It's not like he's going to let me anywhere near him now! We've failed!"

"Not yet." Renji sounded confident. "I know where the captains' meetings are held. We can cut him off."

"Perhaps, but-"

Renji cut him off by picking him up and carrying him under his arm as he ran towards the stairs. "Just shut up and come on! We're wasting time!"

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: **

Disgusted and angered by what had happened only seconds ago, Byakuya paced his office and tried to erase the thought from his mind. All he could taste were Nathan's lips. How revolting! What was that man thinking? Even he didn't know if he was more confused by what had happened or angered by it. But he had to remain calm. The meeting was coming up and he didn't have time to dwell on this.

Looking at the time, Byakuya closed the open books on his desk, packed up his materials and set out. He was a bit early, but he liked giving himself enough time to get there without needing to rush. He wanted to be on time. Better early than late in his book. He opened the door and jerked back as Renji forced his way in.

"Sorry, Captain, but-"

"I do not have time for this, Renji. I have to go to the meeting."

"I know, I know, but…" Renji pointed to the bookcase behind him. "I need to show you something important."

"Not now."

"It's about what's happened to Ichigo. It's all in here."

Byakuya was a little curious now. "What?"

Renji ushered him over to the bookcase. "It has to do with this right here."

Byakuya moved closer and looked at the books on the shelf. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at him. He started to turn back around to face him. "I don't see how-"

Byakuya's lips were met by Nathan's and that was the last thing he remembered before his mind went into shut down.

Renji stood in front of his captain, waiting. Nathan was now gone from sight, leaving only himself and Byakuya in the room. Slowly Byakuya's expression changed and so did his posture. He looked down at his hands, flexing them. Then he gave Renji a clumsy smile. It worked. Nathan was inside Byakuya's body.

"See? I told you my plan would work!" Renji boasted. "I told you that if I distracted him you could sneak in and do that."

"And not just because he was so easily tricked because he was still in a state of shock had nothing to do with it?" Byakuya's voice answered, only more calm and cheerful.

Renji ignored him. "Now we only have to make sure that your act is convincing enough to fool the other captains. We can't let them know that Byakuya's being possessed by some other soul. I need to give you some training."

"Can it be done in under five minutes?"

"Don't rush me!" Renji put a hand to his chin thoughtfully, looking his captain up and down. He walked in a circle around him and stopped, standing toe-to-toe with him. "Hmm…"

Nathan gulped and stood with Byakuya's hands wringing his long sleeves.

"First of all, don't do that." Renji slapped his captain's hands down. "That habit's going to give you away. He's super calm, cool, and collected. And don't have that worried expression, either. He always has a straight face. Here."

Renji spent the next few minutes coaching Nathan through how to pull off a successful Byakuya. When at last he got it, they both went down to the meeting hall. Nathan needed a little push to get through the large double doors. After that he was completely on his own.

"Just in time, Captain Kuchiki," a voice boomed.

Nathan restrained the urge to jump and calmly turned his head instead. The large room was packed with captains standing in straight parallel lines. Sitting at the far end of the room was the Head Captain. Everyone else had arrived accept for Ukitake. But just as Nathan noticed this, the captain of Squad 13 entered apologizing for bringing up the rear.

"Shall we begin?"

Nathan silently moved to the empty spot where Byakuya was supposed to stand and kept his gaze down. He had to try his very best not to draw unnecessary attention to himself. He didn't want to give away that he wasn't the real captain. It was a difficult task to do considering that he had never been in a situation like this before and the fact that he was a pretty nervous guy. He fought hard to keep from tugging at his sleeves.

The Head Captain spoke. "Though I have given the option, considering Kurosaki's situation, he could either be killed or striped of his powers. It has been decided. I have word that Ichigo Kurosaki's punishment will be execution. Now our only job is to decide when and where. We also must confirm that he is guilty of all charges before his punishment is carried out. Now… is there anything that must be said before the court?"

Eager as ever, Soi Fon started. "It is beyond the shadow of a doubt that Ichigo Kurosaki is guilty! I saw it with my own eyes! I saw these men! He truly meant to kill them! Captain Kuchiki would agree with me on that. He was a victim, too."

Kenpachi laughed in his throat. "I'm all for him dying, but really, can't we let him die as a warrior? At least let me have one last go at him."

"That's ridiculous!" snapped the captain of Squad 7. Komamura turned his furry head toward the other captain. "We should deal with this according to our laws, not by what you declare entertaining."

He shrugged. "Whatever. Just saying…"

Unohana calmly spoke. "It troubles me, though."

Soon her voice was drowned out by Soi Fon's again. "I can't let him go unpunished! What he's done is unforgivable! Kurosaki has to die!"

"No!"

Everyone turned at Byakuya's sudden shout over the ruckus.

Nathan corrected himself quickly by keeping his face calm but firm the way he saw Byakuya keep it normally. He also lowered his voice, trying to keep in character.

"It's as you said, Soi Fon. I was a victim, wasn't I? I should speak on my own behalf."

Her eyes challenged his for a moment before backing down with a scowl. "Fine. You're right."

Nathan thought for a moment, determined to pull off the perfect Byakuya impression. As far as they knew, he was Byakuya. So he had to answer like him, too.

"When I fought Ichigo Kurosaki, I sensed that something was off. His fighting style was off. Even his voice wasn't his own. His actions were that of someone else."

"I know it may seem like that," Soi Fon interrupted. "But it was Ichigo alright. That was his Spiritual Pressure. Not an imposter."

"I wasn't finished."

Once again she quieted. This was kind of fun. Nathan had never gotten such respect before. But he had no time to enjoy it. There was a life on the line.

"I never said that it was an imposter. As a matter of fact, I spoke with my lieutenant before I came here. He informed me that when he battled against Kurosaki, it was as if he was being pulled by puppet strings. He told me that Kurosaki looked like he was being manipulated. And I agree with him. He confirmed what I had suspected all along. Ichigo Kurosaki was not acting on his own accord."

There was a pause.

"I agree." Unohana spoke again. "Ichigo was not behaving like his usual self. He was indeed being controlled somehow. Though I am not sure how…"

"I can answer that as well," Byakuya or rather Nathan went on. "I discovered something else about Ichigo Kurosaki. Since he was in my Squad's holding cell, I did enter for a moment. I only did that because Rukia had asked me to see him for her. When I did, Kurosaki was still under the effects of those drugs you gave him. But in a flash, he sprang to life and revealed who he truly was."

Kenpachi rolled his eyes. "This is so complicated, Byakuya. Just tell us already."

"We have to know all the facts first," Ukitake argued. "Go on."

Byakuya took in a breath. "This man confessed that he wasn't Kurosaki, though he never gave me his name."

"Surprise, surprise…" Kenoachi groaned.

"It was just for a moment." Nathan had to make up a false encounter. After all, he couldn't reveal what had truly happened without giving away more than he needed. But this way, he got his point across. "Renji Abarai also informed me about something. He mentioned that an Arrancar had grabbed Kurosaki by his hair during their escape. I believe that's how he's manipulating Kurosaki. He must be using some sort of voodoo on him. He must have pulled out some of his hairs during their struggle."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Not necessarily," Mayuri said with a grin. "It is very possible. All you'd need is a doll and some DNA from the person you wish to manipulate. And we know how Arrancars are. It could be a natural talent for the one controlling him."

"Nevertheless," Soi Fon went on. "We'd need proof of this. Is there anyway for us to prove what's going on? I mean aside from what the captain's just told us?"

Unohana nodded. "I noticed something. The drug I gave him should have worked immediately. But he was on his feet for several seconds after it was injected. That shouldn't be. It may not be proof, but it's cause for alarm. I doubt I'll be able to diagnose the problem. After all, it's not a poison or injury. I hate to say it, but I believe Mayuri would be the only one capable of locating the problem and curing Kurosaki."

Mayuri gave her a toothy grin. "It is my area of expertise, after all. I'll find out what's wrong with him, count on that!"

"Without cutting him open, I hope," Ukitake added.

Mayuri shot him a look. "You're really limiting me here…"

With a rather loud sigh, Shunsui pulled his hat up and looked at the creepy captain. "Not to worry. If it's alright, I'd like to help you out as much as I can. I never thought that Ichigo was the type of person to ever do something like this. I'd like to help you out if I can."

Mayuri took his time in answering. "I suppose…"

"In the meantime," Ukitake said. "I'd like to take a look at Ichigo's condition myself. I'd like to see just what's going on with my own eyes."

"What's that mean?" Shunsui asked.

Ukitake thought for a moment. "There's something else… These attacks didn't just happen at random. The one controlling Ichigo knew that there was someone important with him during these attacks. Which makes me think that they might be able to keep an eye on Ichigo at all times and track his whereabouts. Both times he attacked, there was either a captain or lieutenant with him. He never had to go searching for them."

Shunsui nodded. "Ah, now I see what you mean. Makes sense. Yeah, now I'm starting to see the same thing myself. So you think it's a good idea to go to Ichigo's cell and try to draw out the guy in control?"

"If we can."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Not if he's still tied down and confined to a cell." Ukitake turned his head. "Right, Byakuya?"

It took Nathan a moment to answer, forgetting for a second that he was Byakuya. "Yes, that's correct."

"Good! Then it's settled!" Shunsui laughed. "We'll make a stop down and see what's up. If we get an Arrancar to answer, then maybe we can find out what he wants or what he hopes to gain from possessing Ichigo like this. And maybe Mayuri will find a way to cure this."

"What do you mean 'maybe'?"

Ukitake looked to the front of the room. "Is this ok with you, sir?"

The Head Captain thought for a while and then answered. "Sounds plausible. Very well. I will allow this to take place. Just be extremely careful. And Under the condition that you, Mayuri, will be watched at all times during the procedure if it should take place."

Mayuri reluctantly agreed.

"Until then, Ichigo Kurosaki's execution will be postponed."

Many of the captains looked relieved to hear that Ichigo's execution would be delayed. Slowly they were dismissed, leaving the hall one by one. Nathan couldn't believe how well that worked out. He was so worried until a moment ago. These people really listened to Byakuya. He chose the right body to occupy.

Ukitake and Shunsui flanked him on both sides as they exited the meeting hall.

"Very nicely done, Captain," Ukitake grinned.

Nathan fought the urge to play with his sleeves again. These men were just a little too close for comfort. "Thank you."

Shunsui smiled back. "You did pretty well in there, Nathan."

He stopped and stared at the man next to him, shocked. He knew? What gave him away? Was this a test? Should he continue the charade and deny who he really was?

"I- I'm not…"

"Relax," Ukitake put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We know it's really you."

Nathan dropped his eyes to the floor ashamed. "How did you know? What gave me away?"

"Byakuya never refers to his sister by her first name only during an official meeting. Though I doubt if the Head Captain noticed it. I think you're safe."

Shunsui chuckled a little. "We've known Byakuya for a while and have picked up a few things along the way. We've known him since he was a child."

Nathan lifted his gaze. "So, you're..?"

"Not going to tell anyone," Shunsui finished. "That would get you in trouble, wouldn't it?"

"But why would you do this in the first place?" Ukitake asked.

"He probably thought that no one would listen to him unless he had status. After all, it isn't likely for Byakuya to listen to a commoner who's friends with a well-known rule-breaker. Besides all that, Byakuya was the only captain who was attacked. So was his lieutenant. It was only Squad 6 members. Am I right?"

Nathan nodded Byakuya's head. "Yes, that's correct. I'm very sorry. But I could see no other way."

"Understandable." Shunsui pointed down the hall. "We should see Ichigo now before people start getting impatient again."

"Right. Let's go." Ukitake gave Nathan a little push in the right direction. "By the way, very convincing ruse."

"Oh, um, thank you, sir."

They arrived at the holding cell and stood in front of Ichigo's prison. He was still out cold, hanging from his chains. He looked harmless. But the bars and chains made him look like a monster. It was a sad state to see him in.

Shunsui was up first. They were going to try to bring out the one in control of Ichigo. "Hey, you in there! Why don't you come on out and talk to us?"

No response.

Ukitake tried his luck next. "Please. We know that you are truly an Arrancar who's been manipulating Ichigo all this time. Speak with us right now! Tell us what you want. Tell us your reasons for doing this. Perhaps we can work something out."

Still no answer.

"I knew it," Shunsui sighed. "He's a coward. He knows he doesn't stand a chance against a couple of captains. He's just playing possum."

Ichigo's head lifted and they were met with foreign eyes. "Heh heh heh… How did you know?"

"Lucky guess?"

Ichigo fought against his chains. "Think you can help me out?"

"We just came to talk," Ukitake told him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's fun. After all, I owe Kurosaki for destroying my lab. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to maintain such delicate equipment?"

"Are you working under Aizen's orders?" Ukitake asked.

He started laughing, but it wasn't Ichigo's laugh. It was darker. "That bastard? Please… What reason do I have to follow his orders? He's never given me anything worthy of my loyalty. No, we're working on our own."

"We?"

"There were three of them when I went there," Nathan told Ukitake.

"I see." He turned back. "What do you want?"

Ichigo turned away with a wicked smile, enjoying himself. He was teasing them.

"What do you hope to gain by doing this? Is it a trade you're after?"

He turned back. "A trade? Something to gain? Heh heh… As a matter of fact, there is."

"What?"

Ichigo leaned in as close as he could get, the chains holding him back. "The girl."

Nathan felt his heart sink. They were still after Rosalia.

He was laughing again. "If you want Ichigo back, give up the girl. She's what we want. If you refuse, I'll keep Ichigo on a leash and have some more fun with him. You're not getting him back unless we get what we want. That's the deal."

Shunsui approached the bars. "Why's that? Why the girl? You do mean Rosalia, right?"

He only laughed again.

"We don't have to listen to you or negotiate. We can always cure Ichigo with our methods."

He laughed even louder. "I don't think so! Not as long as I have the doll with his hairs on it. I can always take control of him again. The way I see it, you have two choices to get me to relinquish my control over him. One, give me the girl; or two, kill him. By killing him, I can't control him anymore. Your choice."

"Wait!" Ukitake tried to intervene. "Why do you want her so badly? And why did you take control of Ichigo and attack those people?"

"My reasons are my own. Bring me the girl and this all goes away." Ichigo's head dropped back down onto his chest and he fell silent.

The trio stood staring into his cell silently.

"Why?" Ukiatke breathed. "Why her?"

"It's because of what we used to be! What we still are!" Nathan slammed his fist into the wall behind them. "It's because we were trapped between both worlds. They think that there's still something in our DNA that can keep them from reverting back into Hollows and help keep them alive! They discovered her and not us! That's why they want her! They don't know about me or Sashiro!"

The two captains looked at Nathan in surprise. "Th- that's why..?"

"Yes." Byakuya's voice shook with all the pain Nathan was carrying. "Ichigo saved her, leaving a trace of himself behind so that they could take control of him. It's all my fault!"

"No, it isn't," Ukitake reassured him. "It would have happened either way. Ichigo knew the risks and did it anyway. If anything, he could have been killed. He's lucky that it was only this. Trust me, you're not at fault. He's been in worse situations before."

"Yes, but…"

"Ah! Now I'm beginning to get it!" Shunsui snapped his fingers. "This is all part of their plan! Think about it from their perspective. Ichigo destroyed their lab and he took away the person they were after. If we hadn't found out through Nathan how any of this was happening, we would have gone on assuming that Ichigo was at fault and killed him."

"And in doing so, eliminate the person who stands in their way. Ichigo attacked Renji because he knew where their hideout was and so did Ichigo. And by attacking a captain, he would have received death. If Ichigo were to die, then they would have gotten their revenge and taken out the one person standing in their way from getting to Rosalia."

"And if we take them up on their trade, she's done for. But there's still no guarantee that they're going to release Ichigo from their control. And if he's dead, then they can take Rosalia any time they please."

"Yes, it's a no-win situation."

Nathan sat on the ground and balled into himself. It was a very strange sight to see Byakuya sitting in a fetal position on the floor like this. Nathan must have been hurting far worse than he let on.

In his mind, Nathan was looking over his options. Do nothing and Ichigo would be killed or left to suffer like this forever and Rosalia would be taken anyway without anyone to protect her or have any Soul Reaper who knew where their hideout was located. On the other hand, if they handed her over, Nathan's pregnant wife and mistress, she would surely die and there was still nothing stopping them from keeping control over Ichigo. It truly was a no-win situation.

"That must have been the angle they were playing at all along. They wanted Ichigo to die to eliminate the competition. After all, with Ichigo around, they'd never get close enough to Rosalia without him stopping or going after them. Ichigo's strong. They must have realized that during the fight. They're scared of him."

"I know that, but…" Ukitake stopped as Nathan stood up.

Nathan kept Byakuya's back to them, hanging his head low. "I won't let Ichigo die." His voice was solemn and somber, as beautiful as a rushing river and every bit as haunting. "And I'm not going to let them have Rosalia. I won't allow it. I will protect her the way I should have from the start."

Ukitake put a hand on Byakuya's shoulder. "What do you plan to do? I don't want you doing anything reckless."

He turned, giving Ukitake a soft, gentle smile with Byakuya's lips. "Don't worry. I'm going home to Rosalia. I have to check on her and the baby."

Ukitake lowered his hand slowly, giving Nathan's eyes a knowing look. "I see. Very well."

He nodded. "I'd best get out of Byakuya's body before I go, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Nathan started to leave the room, but before he did, he took a long look back at Ichigo in his cell and then at the captain. "Captain Ukitake."

"Yes?"

Nathan gave him a long stare and started to fiddle with Byakuya's sleeves. His blue eyes danced like flame in Byakuya's sockets. "Thank you." He turned and left.

Ukitake watched him leave, Nathan's latent words tugging at his heart. Something didn't feel right.

X

Once Nathan reached the gate, he ordered them open. Everyone who looked at him recognized him as the captain of Squad 6 and obeyed without question. As soon as the doors were open, Nathan opened Byakuya's mouth and exited his body. He broke off in a dead run, hurrying back home.

As soon as he saw his house, he slowed to a walk. He slowly made his way towards his house. There were still a couple of Soul Reapers nearby, keeping a look out for danger. From the look of things, they were about to switch guards. Nathan walked down the center of the street and over to his home. He peered inside through a window.

There she was. His beautiful wife carefully making her way over to a chair with Sashiro's help. Once seated, he handed her a cup of tea. She smiled and patted his head lovingly with a giggle. He laughed back. Nathan smiled. Just like old times.

It had been so long since that time when they were still alive back home. It had been over 100 years since they had lived in that mansion. He remembered everything about her. He remembered the first time he had ever seen her, even through all the dirt and mud on his face. He remembered saying how much she wanted him. How she wanted him to come home with her. He remembered her teaching him how to read and write and how to do so many other things. And slowly over time, he became less clumsy. He was treated to the good life. He was allowed a bed and food to eat and clothes and a roof over his head and he was never beaten once while in her home.

He was just her servant at that time. It was only a job. A duty he had in order to keep living in that house with her. He was her hired playmate. Just a job. But somewhere along the way, he fell in love with her. The servant who fell for his mistress. She was the only one who was ever kind to him. Whoever made him feel like he mattered, that someone cared. She was the only one who wanted him.

He was happy to serve her, to please her, to make her happy. He loved her.

How could he ever give her away to those Arrancars?

But at the same time, how could he do that to Ichigo? His first real friend? Another person who cared about him. Ichigo had done so much for him and at the time they were strangers. He protected him and agreed to help him find Rosalia. He helped bring them together. They looked out for each other. And even now, when Ichigo could have said 'no' he still agreed to help, even knowing the dangers.

It was his wife who was in trouble, not Ichigo's, yet he saved her because Nathan couldn't on his own. And as a result, an Arrancar had taken control of him and convince the Soul Society to execute him. It was his fault, no matter what anyone said, that Ichigo was put into this situation. He owed Ichigo so much. How could he possibly say that his life was worth less than Rosalia's?

They were equal to him. Ichigo had a family to go home to. Rosalia was expecting a child. Who should die? It was a choice he couldn't make. He owed both of them everything. They had both done so much for him.

And what about him? What had he ever done? He was a servant and not a very good one. He was clumsy and nervous and always made mistakes. He was a husband and not a very good one either. He couldn't even protect his own wife and had to rely on others to do it for him. He couldn't fight. He wasn't a Soul Reaper, he wasn't a fighter, he had no weapon or skill. He really was worthless.

Rosalia gave her belly a rub, feeling her baby kick again. Sashiro sat on the floor, resting his hand over it as well. Rosalia started humming. Nathan moved closer.

"So soft and gentle your touch,

Like water flowing through my fingers.

My once hard heart is now so warm,

It feels so light and fluttery,

Like a bird in flight…

The gentle touch of your hand in mine,

Is like the touch of fresh rose petals in my palm.

The fire it lights in my heart will never go out,

Nothing can erase the memory of this warmth in my hand,

So let's hold hands."

At least he could hear her song one last time. The song she always sang. The song that brought them together. A beginning and an ending. Rosalia's beautiful song. Nathan listened to the very end.

Once finished, Rosalia turned towards the window where Nathan stood. He ducked before she could spot him. He had planned on coming in and speaking with her one last time. Hug her for the last time. To kiss her. To feel their child for the final time. But now he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He just couldn't.

Nathan got to his feet and started walking. He spotted one of the Soul Reapers after changing shifts and followed after him. He tapped the taller man on the shoulder and pressed his lips on his as he turned. The possessed Soul Reaper started back towards the Seireitei.

If these Arrancars wanted that gene so bad, they could have it. They could have him. It was the only way he could save Ichigo and protect his wife at the same time. He would be the sacrifice.

* * *

D: NO! Not Nathan! T^T This can't be!

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Everything was falling into place. Mayuri agreed to run some tests on Ichigo to figure out if there was any way they could remove the Arrancar's control over him. Ukitake and Shunsui were going to supervise him along the way to make sure he didn't do anything in his usual character. In the meantime, however, Ukitake was taking a walk down to where Nathan and Rosalia lived for a visit. Rosalia still had no idea that any of this was going on. And Nathan was so upset the last time he had seen him. He wanted to make sure that everything was ok.

Ukitake showed himself to the guard and was allowed to pass. He knocked on the door. It took a little while for someone to answer, but within moments, Rosalia opened the door and greeted him with a bright smile.

"Captain Ukitake! Hi! What a nice surprise! How are you?"

"Fine. I brought you a little something." He dug inside his robes and took out a wrapped up piece of cloth. "It's baby clothes. I tried to knit it myself. I'm not sure it's my best work, but…"

"Oh. Oh, thank you!" She took it and unfolded it. It looked like footy pajamas just about the size a healthy baby should be. "Thank you very much. This is just what we need."

"How are things coming?"

She smiled and put a hand to her stomach. "Along. Things are coming along just fine. It's been kicking a lot lately. I hope that's ok. Probably from all the excitement going on around here, huh?"

Ukitake laughed along with her. "I look forward to seeing him or her when they're born. I love kids."

She smiled brightly up at him. "I'd like that very much."

Ukitake grinned.

"Oh, yes. How are things going with Ichigo? I know Nathan went to report something. Did they meet up?"

Her casual question acted like a sword that cut him into pieces.

"Oh. Um, Ichigo's fine. I haven't spoken with him much. I was busy and he was… around."

"Ah, I see." Rosalia's face contorted in discomfort and she placed a hand on her stomach. "Oh, dear. I keep getting these cramps every now and again. This baby's fussing a lot. Just can't wait to come out I suppose. Tea helps some."

"Ah." Ukitake looked past her head and into the house. "You should lie down for a bit."

"No, no. I'm fine. See? It's already passed."

"That's good." He looked back into the house. "Where's Nathan?"

She looked puzzled. "Nathan? Why, he hasn't come back yet from his report."

"Really? He said that he was going home to see you."

"I haven't heard from him or seen him since he left a couple hours ago."

Ukitake's calm face shifted into one of frightened realization. He was even paler than usual.

"Is something wrong?"

He looked down at Rosalia's concerned face and forced himself to smile. "Oh, no, no. Nothing. I'm sure he'll be here soon. He must have gotten distracted with something on his way. I'd better get back myself. Lots of work to do. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be here soon. Take care now."

Ukitake turned and hurried away, Rosalia's worried voice chasing after him. _Nathan, what were you thinking? I should have known! This isn't the way to do it, you fool!_ Ukitake hurried back to the Seireitei where he met up with Shunsui at the gate.

"Where were you, buddy? They're just about to unhook Ichigo and give him up to Mayuri."

Ukitake ran the last couple of steps and gave the other captain's arm a tug. "Nathan's gone."

"What?"

"He never went back home. He went to give himself up to those Arrancars."

"What? How? He doesn't know how to open a-"

"The same way he did last time. He's using the one Ichigo and Renji used. Rin told me all about it."

"Ah, that kid… But why would Nathan do such a thing?"

"He's taking her place. The gene's in him, too. He's going to reveal that to them and sacrifice himself."

"That idiot!" Shunsui looked back at the main building. "But first things first. Ichigo."

"Yes, you're right. We can't do anything until then. Let's hurry!"

X

By the time they got there, Ichigo was already strapped down to a hard metal table in the center of Mayuri's laboratory. From the look of things, Ichigo was still out of it. Mayuri, who was leaning over him, looked up as the two captain's entered.

"There you are!" He moved to the other side of the table. "I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Either or."

"Very well." Mayuri drummed the air with his long finger nail. "I have successful located where the Arrancars have taken control of him. There's this slimy gunk encasing his Atlas, you know, the top vertebra of his spine. And it's spread over his Cerebral cortex. I think that's what's allowing them control over his body."

"Good. At least now we know what's going on. We know the cause."

"Hate to rain on your sunny mood, but here's the bad news." Mayuri looked back at the teen on the table. "That's only a small part of it. As it turns out, that slime is just a side effect from the voodoo doll they have with his hairs around it. The slime allows them to take control, but it's useless without the doll."

"Wait, let me see if I understand this," Ukitake said. "The doll is what allows them to control his movements with his hair used as the DNA, but the slime is the actual strings used to manipulate him."

"In a nutshell. It's what ties him to the Arrancar's control. They need both the doll with his hair and the slime to manipulate him successfully."

Shunsui groaned. "So in other words, they can still control him as long as they have the doll."

"What would happen if you remove the slime?" Ukitake asked hopefully.

"Well, that's what I'm planning on doing." Mayuri looked Ichigo up and down. "It's a very delicate and dangerous procedure. But I can do it. Hopefully once the slime is removed, their control over him will be extremely difficult. It won't cure him, but it will weaken their hold over him. The slime could always return if the doll is used once again. But that would take time."

"Better than nothing."

Shunsui folded his arms. "Now how are you going to do that without cutting him open?"

Mayuri pouted a little. "Ugh, you can't make this easy for me, can you?" He pointed to what looked like a laser over Ichigo's head. "That'll be fired into his skin, solidifying the slime and from there, I can remove it using this." He pointed to the table itself.

"What?"

"This!" He pointed again. "This table's specially equipped with a device that will disintegrate the solidified slime without harming his spine or his organs. His skin maybe a little red, but he should be unharmed. Good enough for you two?"

The captains exchanged looks then nodded.

X

Meanwhile in Hueco Mundo, Nathan had just been loaded into his cell and locked away. There was nothing to sit on but the hard stone and sand covered ground. Nathan sat with his back to the bars looking at his folded hands. He kept telling himself that this was all for the best. This was the only thing that he could do to protect them both. This way, his family and his friends would be kept safe. It was best for him to be the sacrifice.

Outside his cell, Serpiente stood behind Nathan looking through the bars. "Well, well, well… Who'd have thought, huh? So you're one, too, are you?"

Nathan didn't acknowledge him.

"It sure was helpful for you to come and show yourself, I have to admit. You made it so much easier for us."

Still, Nathan didn't say a word.

He felt Serpiente's hands on the bars behind his head. "Not talking, huh? That's fine. Experiments shouldn't talk anyway."

Nathan moved away from the bars, keeping his back to the man.

"What's wrong? No, never mind. My real question is why? Why would you show yourself to us knowing what was going to happen?"

Nathan kept his eyes down. "Because I wanted to protect her."

"Her? Oh, you mean that girl we had in here before."

"To you she's just a girl," Nathan said softly, as if speaking to someone's grave. "To me, she's my true love. She's my wife and I love her."

"Love?"

Nathan snorted. Judging from his tone of voice, this Arrancar had no knowledge of the word at all. He was just a monster who didn't care about anyone or anything but himself. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You don't even know what it's like to be close to someone. You're just a heartless Hollow. The only difference is that you look somewhat human. How could I ever except something like you to understand my feelings? You don't even have a heart. You don't know what it's like to be in love with someone."

In a flash, the Arrancar had thrown himself into the bars, causing Nathan to fall back in surprise. Serpiente held onto the bars with clenched fists. His dark eyes were focused only on the man in the cell, burning into him.

"You think you have us all figured out, do you?" he growled. "You think you know all about us? About me? You think we don't have feelings? Ha! When I'm here standing before you ready to rip you apart, that's rage. When I carry out orders to locate that gene in you in order to keep from reverting back, that's fear. When I finally find it, that's happiness."

Nathan inched away from the bars, fearing that this Arrancar was about to give in to one of those emotions and rip him apart.

"And love? Heh. Oh, love is a strange emotion, isn't it? It's also very dangerous and powerful because it causes you to feel all sorts of other emotions as well. Fear, joy, jealousy, shyness. It's the ultimate feeling. And one you cannot understand no matter how may times you study it. An emotion that causes you to feel a way you never knew you could. An emotion that forces you to obsess over someone else and think about them constantly. That wills you to do strange things you would never normally do for reasons you don't understand. It compels you to try to do things, give her things that will make her smile and when she does, it makes you happy to know that you were the one who caused it. But you're too scared, nervous or shy to ever speak to her directly so you run and hide like a coward. And when she's in your sights all you can do is stare. But when she looks back, all you can do is look away and run. And when she's not there, all you ever do is think about her and fantasize."

Nathan's heart was pumping fast. Whether it was from fear of knowing exactly what he was talking about or from the fact that the Arrancar knew exactly how he felt wasn't clear to him. But at that moment, this monster seemed more human to him than he did a few moments ago.

Serpiente brought his face closer to the one inside who remained frozen in place. In his dark pupils, there was no condemnation. Only the color of a deep, clear sadness. "No. I understand a lot more than you think." He moved away from the bars and walked away never speaking another word to him.

X

Groggy as could be and his head swimming, Ichigo slowly pulled his eyes open. They couldn't stay open for very long and closed very quickly. His limbs felt heavy. He couldn't move.

"Well, well, look who's coming around."

Ichigo cracked open an eye again and looked up at Mayuri's blurry face. He couldn't speak or make sense of what was going on around him. He was so out of it.

"Ah, looks like the drugs are still doing a job on him. I doubt if he's even coherent at the moment. Hey, Ichigo! Awake yet?"

"Uh…" Mayuri's voice sounded as if he were listening to him underwater. He couldn't understand him. To make matter worse, he couldn't answer back. His tongue was dead in his mouth.

"Ichigo, blink twice if you can hear me."

He just stared.

"Ok, not what I wanted."

"Ichigo, it's me, Captain Ukitake. Can you hear me?"

Ichigo slowly turned his head. "Ah…" Ukitake was just as blurry as everything else. All these shapes and colors were confusing. His body was still very numb. Was he still dreaming? It felt like it.

"Ichigo, we've gotten rid of the Arrancar's control over you, but we can't let you go just yet."

"Mmm..?"

"Forget it, man, he can't understand you. Those are some powerful drugs Unohana gave him. He won't be able to speak or do anything for while. You might as well go back to sleep, Ichigo. We're just about done here."

Sleep sounded like a good idea. He closed his eyes again and slipped away.

"Good, and while he's sleeping it off, we can finish up here." Mayuri pushed the others over to the wall and stood beside them. "It's very important that no one touches him for the next hour."

"Why's that?"

"Because of the procedure I had to perform. His body and mind are in a very delicate state right now. Any physical contact could throw his metal state off balance. I had to tamper with his Cerebral cortex as well as his vertebra. Too many things sending signals to his brain and too many things effecting his brain function. It could damage him in ways I don't even know how!"

"Ok, ok! So we just don't touch him for the next hour?"

"Precisely. Technically it's only for the next forty-five minutes, but just to be on the safe side…"

X

At that very moment, a very concerned and very pregnant Rosalia came running up the stairs of the Seireitei with Sashiro at her side. She had to find out what was going on. What was the truth about Nathan? Where was he really? And what about Ichigo? She needed answers.

The only reason why they were allowed to enter the Seireitei was because they had a Soul Reaper with them. That's the only reason why they had gotten this far. But once inside the main building, they had ditched the Soul Reaper and wandered around in search of both Ichigo and Nathan. After a while of getting nowhere, Sashiro stopped and asked a passerby where Ichigo was being kept. Pointed in the right direction, the two made their way towards Mayuri's lab.

Inside, they could hear the three captains talking about Ichigo. This must have been the right place.

"Just another couple of minutes and it should be safe to move him," Mayuri explained. "The slime I found, however, is very interesting. I think I'll keep a sample of it for future study."

Ukitake shot him a warning look. "I don't think that's wise."

"Why not? What do we really know about the future? We may have to use data from the slime someday. You never know. It's a learning process! All in the name of science!"

The table Ichigo was laying on started to whirl. Mayuri instructed Nemu to lower it slightly to make the noise stop. She obeyed. Now they could see Ichigo more clearly. His eyes were still closed and he wasn't moving, not that he could anyway with all the thick straps holding him in place.

"Ah, yes. Shouldn't be long now," Mayuri smiled. "I see he's reacting well. Good color, good temperature. The monitor over there shows his vitals, if you want a look. About a couple more minutes should do it."

"Then what?"

"Then we can-"

"Ichigo!"

The door flew open and in came Rosalia and Sashiro, both making a mad dash towards the table.

"No!" Mayuri yelled. "Ichigo cannot be moved yet! Stop them!"

Ukitake couldn't react in time, but Shunsui managed to leap forward and blocked off Sashiro's path. But once he had Ichigo in his sights, he wasn't giving up. He moved to the left and tried to run around the captain. But Nemu cut him off allowing Ukitake to wrap his arms around the young boy. But where was the girl?

Looking up, they saw Rosalia inches from the table. She had somehow managed to squeeze past the others and over to the teen. Seeing him strapped to a table in the captain's lab made her think that he was being subjected to evil experimentations. She reached out, calling his name.

"Ichigo!"

"No, don't!"

Too late. By the time the warning was given, Rosalia's right hand had reached out and grabbed Ichigo's wrist.

An electric sizzle sounded on contact causing Rosalia to jump back, her hand zapped by something unseen. Ichigo let out a sharp yelp before laying silent on the table again.

Shunsui grabbed Rosalia and pulled her back but the damage was already done.

"Idiot!" Mayuri snapped at Rosalia. "You stupid, stupid girl! What have you done?"

She coward in the other captain's arms, not used to being yelled at by someone so scary.

"Who knows what that's done to him! Idiot!"

"Hey, you can't talk to her that way!" Sashiro snapped. But when the captain faced him, the boy quickly shut himself up. "Sir."

X

A few minutes later, Ichigo opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a dark room laying on something hard. He moved. His limps still felt heavy. He curled his fingers on each hand slowly. He tried his voice next. "Wh… where am I?" His voice sounded tried and underused.

"Oh, good, you're up."

"Huh?"

Mayuri was standing over him. If his body wasn't so slow to react, he'd have jumped up in the air and run off. The captain shined a light in his eyes and lifted his arms up, checking him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Just lookin'." Mayuri forcibly turned Ichigo's head to the side. "Do you feel any pain anywhere. Any discomfort?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the captain. "Oh, yeah."

"Enough already." Ukitake pushed his way to the front. "Ichigo, how are you feeling?"

He took a moment to check on the rest of his body. "Ok, I guess. My head kind of hurts and my legs are numb."

"I'm sure that'll pass."

Mayuri poked Ichigo in the head with his long finger nail. "How's your spine doing? Feeling ok? Can you try to stand? How many fingers am I holding up? What's your full name? How many siblings? What's the name of your Zanpakuto? Do you know where you are at this moment? Can you do this-?"

"Shut up!" Ichigo cut him off. "What's with all these questions and are you ever going to give me a chance to answer any of them?"

"I just want to see how your brain is functioning."

"What for?"

Ukitake put a hand on Ichigo shoulder. "Can you stand?"

"Uh… I'll try." Ichigo moved his legs. They weren't paralyzed, but they were numb. With Ukitake's help, he managed to lift himself up and put his feet on the floor. He slowly lifted himself off the table and stood up. He wobbled and held on tighter to the captain's hand. "Sorry. I guess I'm not…"

"It's fine. I'll help you." Ukitake walked Ichigo over to a chair and sat him down where he could rest. "It may be a while. Unohana's drugs are still in your system. They're very powerful."

"Unohana's..? What? Why am I..?"

"Oh, yes, you don't know. I suppose I should explain. But that can wait a few more minutes. I don't want to rush anything."

Ichigo put a hand on his stomach. "I'm kind of hungry."

"Of course. Let me take you to my office. I have plenty to offer you there."

X

As soon as they go to the office, Ukitake treated him to a soft couch and a whole basket of fresh fruit. He started eating at once. He started with the red, juicy strawberries first, then some apples and then a banana. As he ate, he started to get more strength. But he was also starting to notice something a little off about himself.

"Hey."

"Yes?" Ukitake asked. He had been watching him this whole time.

"I… feel a little weird. I can't really explain it, but I feel off somehow. What exactly happened to me back there? Why was I in that lab? I can't really remember anything. What's going on?"

Ukitake sat across from him in another chair. "Well… Brace yourself. You see, as it turns out, those Arrancars you faced before managed to take control of you via voodoo doll and some of your hair. They made you attack Renji and Byakuya as well as a few other Soul Reapers."

"What?" Ichigo dropped the banana in his lap.

"But there's nothing to be concerned about. We've just corrected the problem. That's why you were in that place. We removed their control over you. But as long as thy have that doll, it's possible that they could still do something to you. We're not sure yet. Mayuri wants to test the slime he removed from you to see what he can learn about it. But there's no need for you to worry. Renji is up and about and Byakuya's just fine. None of the people you attacked were killed. They're ok."

"That's good." Ichigo let out a sigh, but he was still troubled. Before he could thoroughly assess the situation, Ukitake started speaking again.

"You owe it all to Nathan."

"Huh?"

"He's the one who figured it out in the first place. He managed to convince the court to not charge you for those crimes since they weren't your doing. Nathan truly saved your life. You were going to be executed. He saved you from that by finding out the truth and revealing it to us."

"Oh," Ichigo breathed. Nathan saved him? How? No, that wasn't important. The point is that he did. _Nathan, thanks. I owe you one_. "Where is he? I want to thank him face to face."

Ukitake shifted in his seat. "Oh. Well… That's just the thing…"

Ichigo was getting a bad feeling about this. "What happened? Where's Nathan?"

He didn't answer.

"Where is he, Ukitake?"

He looked Ichigo in the eyes. "We believe he's-"

"Ichigo's ok! Ichigo!"

Before he could turn, he was tackled by a very pregnant Rosalia. She hugged him tight and Sashiro followed soon after.

"Thank God you're ok! I was worried about you!"

Sashiro nodded. "Very worried!"

Ichigo pushed them off. "Ah. Oh, sorry about that."

Rosalia sighed. "At least it's not all bad. To make up for stressing me out, the captain gave me these as a gift!" She pulled out a large bouquet of pink roses. Little did she know that it was just to shut her up and weren't really a gift at all.

As Ichigo stared at the flowers, something started to sparkle in his eyes. He stood up from his seat and stood beside Rosalia, staring at the flowers. "So pretty…"

She looked up. "Hm? Oh, you like roses?"

He nodded slowly up and down. "Yeah. I like pink. I really like pink ones. They're so pretty."

This waved a red flag in Ukitake's mind and he stood up. "Wait. Since when do you like the color pink?"

Ichigo shrugged. He didn't quite know himself. "I don't know. But I think they're pretty. I like pink very much for some reason." He looked back at the flowers, his cheeks starting to turn just as pink. "May… I have one?"

"Oh, sure." Rosalia handed one over to him.

He took the rose in his hand and rubbed it against his cheek, feeling the silkiness of the petals on his face. "Mmm… Nice… soft… pink roses…"

Rosalia giggled. "I like doing that, too. See?" She started to rub the roses against her face as well.

Ukitake watched, bewildered, then slowly slid out of the office and into the hall. "Oh, Mayuri! I think we have a situation in here!"

It took him only a minute to show up, forcing Ichigo back into a chair. Without telling the others what he was doing, he poked Ichigo hard in the arm with his finger.

"Ow!" Ichigo rubbed his arm with a pout. "What'd you do that for?"

Then he moved onto Rosalia and jabbed her arm as well.

"Ouch!"

"Ouch!"

Both Ichigo and Rosalia rubbed their arms in the same location. Only this time, Ichigo wasn't touched.

Mayuri stood up. "Well, now we know what happened. This is very interesting."

"What? What?"

Mayuri turned. "Ichigo and Rosalia are now linked. He feels what she feels. And apparently, he also has her personality. He's half Ichigo, half foolish girl."

"Hey!" she snapped. "Foolish girl?"

"You're the one who touched him before he was ready to be moved!" Mayuri shouted in her face.

Tears formed in her eyes and she turned away from him, not used to being scolded or having such a scary face so close to hers. "But no one told me! I thought you were experimenting on him or hurting him or something! I didn't mean to cause trouble!"

Ichigo started to get tears as well. "No need to yell, Mayuri! You're scary!"

The captain pulled away with a groan. "Ay… This is a pain in the ass. Looks like he has the same emotions as her, too. This can't be good. She just had to touch him, didn't she?"

Ichigo snapped back to himself for a moment. "What are we going to do about this? I don't understand what's going on."

Ukitake pulled him over to the couch again and sat him down. "Listen, after we got rid of their control, we couldn't move you or touch you for about an hour, but right before the time was up, Rosalia came in and disturbed you. And we think that's caused a part of her mind to enter yours."

It actually was pretty easy for Ichigo to grasp this. After all, a similar thing had happened to him before when Nathan had bitten him which caused him to gain some of his personality traits and some of his memories. Only this time, he was part girl. It also looked as if it was impossible for him to control. If something triggered the second personality to take over, he was helpless to stop it.

"How long's this going to last?" he asked.

The captain didn't answer.

"How long, Ukitake?"

"Um… we don't know. It may be… permanent."

"What? Permanent?"

"We think! We don't know!"

Ichigo couldn't spend the rest of his life like this. That much was certain. "This is just great! Perfect! I can't spend the rest of my life with a duel personality! We've gotta find a way to…" Ichigo's eyes sparkled again as he looked at the captain's long hair. "I really want to braid your hair."

"Huh?"

Ichigo slapped himself in the face. "No! That's not what I meant! Damn it! It really is uncontrollable."

Sashiro came back in with something in his arms. "Look what I found you, mistress! The miss from the Eleventh Squad was kind enough to lend us these." He held up three stuffed animals. "I wanted to cheer you up."

Rosalia squealed. "Oh! They're so cute!" She picked up the stuffed elephant and hugged it tightly in her arms.

Ichigo's eyes sparkled and he jumped out of his seat and latched onto a stuffed lion, hugging it just as tight. "So cute!"

Ukitake sighed. "I suppose things could be worse."

Still holding onto the toy, Ichigo turned around. "Hey, I wonder… If she's pregnant, does that mean that I'm going to experience mood swings and pains and craving, too?"

Very good point. No one knew.

* * *

Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

There weren't too many mood swings. However, Ichigo was acting extremely girly. This was something no one wanted to see. And when Ichigo wasn't acting like the young mistress, he was begging for a cure. This couldn't be forever.

Rukia came to help Ichigo, but she was just as creeped out by this as anyone else. Ichigo kept switching back and forth between Rosalia and himself which was very frustrating for himself. He also kept complaining about strange stomach cramps that he couldn't figure out. Since he didn't have a baby in his stomach, all he felt was an unexplainable discomfort. Rosalia, on the other hand, felt her own baby kicking and worming around under her delicate skin.

Finally, Rosalia had to lie down. She took a spot on the couch in Ukitake's office and Sashiro placed a moist cloth on her head. He fluffed a pillow under her back for support and told her to drink some more water. She thanked him and closed her eyes. Being this along with a baby was very taxing on the young mistress.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "But I need to take a short nap."

"Understood, mistress."

No sooner had she spoken those words, did Ichigo, out in the hall, feel very tired as well. "I need a nap."

"Now?" Rukia asked sharply. "You just spent a good part of the day unconscious!"

"I know, but…" Ichigo went back into the office. "But I need to lie down for a minute."

"But Ichigo…"

Too late. He leaned up against the side of the couch and started snoring. It seemed that if Rosalia was tried and in need of a nap, so was Ichigo.

"Hey… Hey… Yo, King… Wake up…"

Ichigo turned away from the noise.

"King… Wake the hell up, damn it. I got a bone to pick with you. Get up."

"Hm?" Ichigo opened his eyes and found his Hollow self staring at him with a rather annoyed look. He sat up slowly. "What's the matter?"

His Hollow's eye twitched. "Care to explain what the hell's going on here?" He gestured around them with his hand.

"Mm?" Ichigo looked around. His jaw dropped. His inner world had been changed. Not completely. The landscape and buildings were pretty much the same. The only main difference was that they were all pink. Every single building had been painted a pretty pink color. Not only that, but there were pink roses popping up through the windows and long rose vines were wrapping around the tall buildings. There were flowers everywhere and piles of stuffed animals and boxes upon boxes of candy scattered throughout the landscape. It was every young childish girl's dream world, right down to the rainbow patterned butterflies.

"What the hell do you have to say about this?"

Ichigo's brown eyes sparkled and he smiled from ear to ear. "Cute..!"

"No!" his Hollow snapped. "Not cute! What the hell have you done to this place? It's all… girly and… pink! It's pink, Ichigo! Pink!"

"I know! Isn't it pretty?" A butterfly fluttered overhead and Ichigo got to his feet, giggling. He wanted to chase after them. But his Hollow had other ideas and pulled him back.

"Focus, you idiot! What the hell are you going to do about this? I can't live in a place like this! It's an eyesore!"

"I think it's pretty!" Ichigo cupped his hands together with a big grin.

"You're acting like a chick! Snap out of it, Ichigo!"

Calling him by his first name seemed to help bring him back to reality. Ichigo gave his head a shake. "I wish I could, but I can't. It's a very long story. Ukitake and the others gave me the details a little while ago. I have half a girl's personality in me now."

"Perfect!" He threw his white hands into the air and turned away. "I knew it was a mistake letting that other guy in here. Ever since he showed up, this place has gone down hill fast!"

Ichigo grabbed his Hollow, forcing him back around. "Wait, what did you just say? What guy?"

"This weirdo with blond hair and shaking legs."

"Nathan? Do you mean Nathan?"

"Yeah, I guess so. He was here a few hours ago saying how he wanted to help you out."

Ichigo didn't understand. "But… but how is that even possible? He lost his powers, didn't he? How'd he get in? How did he..?" He looked at a stuffed life-size pink cat behind his Hollow. "Kitty!" He jumped into its lap with a giggle.

"Oh, my God…" his Hollow whined. "I should start calling you _Queen _now."

Zangetsu appeared behind him looking rather indifferent. "I don't mind too much. It's a change. At least there are plants now. I've been after him to add a few things."

"But it's pink! Pink!"

"I don't mind."

"_Queen's _messing things up! Stop him!"

"This is out of my hands. I can't do anything about this. It's up to him to change back. I can't force it on him." Zangetsu took a seat on a large stuffed rhino. "At least there are animals. I've wanted a few of them here. I just wish they were real. But I'll learn to live."

Giggling like a girl, Ichigo jumped up and down on a large pile of stuffed toys and pillows. He was having a wonderful time, forgetting everything around him. It was nice to be carefree. It was even better to be playful. Leaving his dignity far behind, Ichigo was able to enjoy himself fully without fear of being judged.

"You're a little too good at this, Queen."

Ichigo glanced up. "It's not that big a deal. I used to play with my sisters when we were little. I remember playing dolls and tea party with Yuzu. She even made me play dress-up with her before. It was kind of fun. Not that anyone ever saw me besides my folks."

"But now you _are _a chick! You're a freaking girl! Not playing with your sisters!"

Ichigo slowly calmed himself. "You think I can help this? I know how I look, but I can't stop myself! I'm going to act like Rosalia as long as we're linked, so get used to it! God knows I have to."

His Hollow turned away. "I hate you. I hate you so much." He jumped to another building where he fell into a plush beanbag and sank up to his neck. "Oh, come freaking on!"

Zangetsu moved beside Ichigo. "I'm aware of what's going on, Ichigo. I know that girl's influence has changed this world. And I'm also aware of that Arrancar's control over you."

"Yeah, the others told me about it. They said they got rid of their control."

"Mm, not all of it." Zangetsu looked over the buildings thoughtfully. "It seems they've only removed their main control over you. However, the tool used for manipulation is still out there. There's always a chance that it could happen again."

"Yeah, I know." Ichigo tossed aside the stuffed animal in his arms. "So, kill the Arrancar controlling me, solve the problem?"

"That's correct."

Ichigo scoffed. "It's not likely for them to just let me go back there anytime soon. Definitely not like this. There isn't really a reason to go all the way back to Hueco Mundo."

Zangetsu looked at Ichigo out of the corner of his eyes then back up to the sky. "There was a visitor here before, as you're aware. That boy."

"Yeah, Nathan."

He nodded without looking at him. "He's left this place a while ago and hasn't returned. Not since he discovered what was going on inside of you. So where is he now?"

Ichigo's eyes widened. "That's right! Ukitake never did answer me. Nathan's…"

Zangetsu nodded. "You'd better figure this out fast, Ichigo. I have a bad feeling about this."

X

Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself back in Ukitake's office with the others. Rukia was standing over him. "Oh, good. It seems that he wakes up along with her." Ichigo looked over and saw Rosalia being handed a glass of water by Sashiro, awake as well. At once, Ichigo turned his head towards the captain.

"Ukitake… You never did answer me before." He remembered how troubled he was the last time he had asked. But he had to know. He had to hear it for himself. "Where is Nathan?"

Rosalia looked up, hand still closed around the cup. "Oh, yes, that's right. He never did come home. And judging from the troubled look on your face, he wasn't with you either, Captain." She knew. "And you ran off awful quick despite telling me that he was fine."

"Where is he?" Ichigo felt the same anger and concern that Rosalia felt. "Where is Nathan, Ukitake?"

Ukitake looked down. "I was afraid to tell you. I didn't see him, but he gave me his good-bye and told me that he was going home to see you."

"But he never did!" Rosalia cried.

"I know, I know. And I think I know why." Ukitake lowered his voice. "We think he's… in Hueco Mundo."

"What?"

"Why?"

"He wanted to save you both. It was a no-win situation. The Arrancar confessed that he wanted you, Rosalia. And he was using Ichigo as a means to get to you. He said that he would trade Ichigo for you. But we weren't sure if he would hold up his end of the bargain if we did. After all, at the time, you were sentenced to death, Ichigo. Giving her up would save your life. But even if we did give her up, there was no guarantee that they would let you go. In their eyes, you're a powerful enemy. You not only know their location, but you're also very strong. Taking you out would be beneficial for them. Plus they also see you as a type of bodyguard for her."

"Yeah, but if Nathan proved that I was being controlled, how could they kill me? If they knew what was going on-"

"At the time, we didn't. And even after we did, there was no way we could let you go in that state. You would have continued to attack people or you would have gotten Rosalia yourself or they would have found a way to have you killed anyway. It would have worked in their favor. But if we didn't give her up, there was also a change that as long as you were out of commission, they could have come here and taken her away. No offense, but even with those Soul Reapers watching over you, there was always a chance that an Arrancar would have shown up and taken you away. Their power surpasses that of a captain's and the ones protecting you don't even come close. If one had shown up, they would have either been killed or they would have sent out an SOS to us."

"So the ones looking after me were weaklings and I would have been taken away?" Rosalia snapped.

"We couldn't have captains watching you 24/7. I'm sorry, but that was about all that we could do for you. The Head Captain was reluctant to give you even that."

"But Nathan! What happened to him?"

Ukitake sighed. "When he heard how either one or both of you would have been taken in some way, he must have thought that there was no other choice but to give himself up. It's the gene they want, not you yourself. And the gene is in him as well. He must have gone in your place."

"But… but how do you know? It could be a mistake."

"No. We went to Research and Development and discovered that the portal had been activated recently. It all adds up. I'm sure that's where he's gone. He did it to save you both."

Rosalia was beside herself. Her lower lip trembled. "No… No, he couldn't have… There's no way… Y- you have to get him back! Go fetch him the way you did me! You must!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. The only people who know where their hideout is are you, Ichigo and Renji. And Renji is in no condition to do anything at this point. He was critically injured before and then put in an even worse state by Ichigo. He isn't even fit to wield his Zanpakuto now. He's been ordered to rest. He couldn't go there, much less fight."

"Then Ichigo and I will go!"

"No!" Ukitake spoke rather sharply to her. "I cannot allow that to happen. Not in your condition. You're carrying a baby and you're not a Soul Reaper. You wouldn't stand a chance in a place like that. The only reason you did before was because you were in their care and they wouldn't want anything to happen to their gene. And I can't let Ichigo go in his condition. You and him are linked. Whether he's in close proximity to you or not is irrelevant. I can't let either one of you go."

Rukia stood in front of him. "Captain Ukitake, sir. I'm willing to go there myself with a search team to location Nathan in Hueco Mundo and return him home."

Before Ukitake could answer, Ichigo snorted. "I wouldn't bet on it, Rukia. The last time I asked that, the old man told me that he wasn't willing to let a search team out there for the sake of one person."

"But now he knows what they're after and that it could have them become dangerously strong. The Head Captain-"

"Knew the same thing when we told him about Rosalia and he still refused! He said that their lives weren't worth hers. Why would Nathan be any different to him?"

Rukia looked back at Ukitake. He nodded confirming this fact. Rosalia started to cry and Ichigo could feel himself tear up as well. It seemed that no one was willing to help Nathan. He was as good as gone.

X

Serpiente looked at the doll on the table. There was no reason to use it now. Ichigo was probably dead by now anyway. Besides, it took a lot of energy to manipulate it. But it was pretty fun. He moved across the room to a chair and sat down. It was a hard wooden chair and it wasn't very comfortable. But he wasn't looking to relax. He wanted to think.

What Nathan had told him was still eating away at him like the Encroachment of a Spirit Chain. To even suggest that he had no feelings of love or attachment was extremely painful for him. His reason for leaving Las Noches was different than the others. He didn't want to leave, but at the same time, he felt like he had little choice. There was nothing for him there anymore. The reason was no longer there.

Serpiente lowered his head, thinking. It was true. He was never loyal to Aizen. It didn't matter what he wanted or his orders. Aizen could never give him what he wanted. However, without meaning to, Aizen found a new way to convince Serpiente to stay. As long as he obeyed, he would get to continue living there. And if that happened, then he could see her.

A pain struck him in the chest where his heart was supposed to be. "Hmph… And they say I don't have a heart." He remembered her hazel eyes and her long blue-green hair and crimson line that stretched horizontally across her face right below her eyes. That always made her eyes stand out more to him. He liked it. He smiled. "Only you could ever make my heart beat like that."

He looked back at the doll laying lifeless on the table.

"Funny… You were the one who had me on strings, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. And I never complained. You were the only one allowed to toy with me. And I enjoyed every confusing, painful, humiliating moment of it."

The door opened and in came Raposa. He threw a vile into his face. "Drink it."

Serpiente looked at it with a groan. "Can't you see I was in the middle of something?"

"Just do it!" Raposa forced the drink into his mouth. It tasted like blood. "The gene's in him somewhere, and you're the only one who can find it."

Serpiente swallowed the crimson blood and ran his long tongue over his open mouth.

"Well?"

Serpiente nodded. "I can taste it. It's in him."

"Can you extract it?"

He looked up at him. "Yes."

"Then move it."

X

Word traveled fast about Nathan and the Arrancars. Unfortunately, no one was willing to act. It wasn't until the head captain finally came up with a plan. He realized what would happen if these Arrancars got their way and organized a team to go into Hueco Mundo and retrieve Nathan. But not for his sake. Yamamoto just wanted to keep the Arrancars from getting their hands on that gene that could be used against them.

So far, Soi Fon and the Stealth Force were going in, but so where Hitsugaya and his Squad. They were still putting teams together. Kenpachi and the rest from Squad 11 insisted on going and killing those Arrancars, but Yamamoto told them that he couldn't allow so many to go into Hueco Mundo and leave the Seireitei vulnerable. At this rate, nothing would get done.

Unable to stand sitting around anymore, Rosalia decided to take it upon herself to go into Hueco Mundo herself and find Nathan. Close behind and every bit as determined, was Ichigo. They told Sashiro to stay behind and by them some time to sneak out. They snuck around to the front of the building and continued until they found a staircase leading to the next floor. From there, they could make it to the location where the captains were planning on opening a Garganta.

But as they made it to the bridge connecting the two buildings together, a familiar face stopped them. Ukitake was standing in the middle of the floor, blocking their path.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Rosalia stomped her foot. "Captain Ukitake, please move!"

"I thought I made it quite clear that you couldn't go. It's too dangerous!"

"But I have to, don't you see? And Ichigo will be with me every step of the way! Those other guys don't know where their hideout is. They need us. Please, let us go."

"I cannot. Even if Ichigo is with you, there is no guarantee that he can still fight the way he used to. We're still figuring things out. In any case, you can't go in your condition. Think of your child."

"I wouldn't even be having this baby if it weren't for Nathan!" Rosalia never look so firm before. Her eyes were blazing.

Ukitake sighed. "We're sending out a team right now. There is no need for you to worry."

"But he's my husband!" She had the same look on her face that Soi Fon did right before she killed. She was fierce and beautiful.

"I realize that. But…"

"Ukitake," Ichigo said, placing a hand on Rosalia's shoulder. "I know how it is. But she was there before. And I think she'll be safe anyway. From the Arrancar's perspective, she'll still be a spare in case things don't work out with Nathan. They'll have no reason to harm her. And there will be other Soul Reapers there. And I will be there. I can't let Nathan do it."

"Ichigo-"

"He's my friend!" His eyes looked every bit as fierce as hers. "I can still fight! I'm fine!"

Ukitake looked at him without saying anything.

"You can't stop us."

"Please…"

Ukitake sighed heavily. "I know how much he means to you. I know how important this is. I wish I could let you go. I really do."

Their hearts sank simultaneously.

"I wish I could just let you go down to the courtyard on your left down these stairs and out the last door on the left. And I wish I could tell you that they're going to have the first team with Kira and Hisagi dispatched in three minutes out there, both of whom are waiting for directions to the hideout. And I wish I could tell you that they were alone and that there'll be no one else around for the next ten minutes while they prepare, but I just can't. I hate to have to stop you both. I really don't want to. What I would rather do is look out this window for the next, oh, I don't know, thirty seconds or so."

Ukitake stood with his back to the two, looking out the window. It took them a moment to realize what he was doing and smiled twin grins. Holding hands, they rushed past the captain.

"Thank you!"

He didn't say anything. All he did was smile.

They ran down the stairs to the courtyard right when Kira and Hisagi were getting ready to jump through the portal. Just before the Garganta closed, Ichigo and Rosalia jumped through.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

When they landed on the other side, their ankles deep in sand, Kira and Hisagi turned and started scolding them.

"What the hell were you thinking, Ichigo? This is no place for someone like her!"

"And is she… is she pregnant?"

"Ichigo, this isn't a place for someone in her condition. In any case, you can't be here while you're recovering."

Rosalia pushed her way to the front of Ichigo. "I came of my own accord!"

Hisagi groaned. He wasn't used to speaking to a young mistress like her. He had to chose his words carefully. "Listen, I know how you must feel, but try to understand. This is no place for someone like you. Think of the safety of your child."

"I wouldn't have having this baby if not for Nathan! He is my husband!"

"I realize that. But we're trained to handle these kinds of situations."

"I'm not going anywhere!" She folded her arms stubbornly. Ichigo did the same behind her without realizing it.

Kira looked over their heads. "Not that they could. The Garganta's already closed. It'll be another ten minutes before the next team is sent in."

"Damn it…" Hisagi growled, rubbing the back of his head.

Now it was Ichigo's turn to speak. "Listen, I agree that this is no place for a girl like her in her condition. But Nathan is her husband. She has a right to be here. And Nathan wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for me. Besides, you need us. We're the only ones who know where the hideout is. We've been in and out of there before. You need our help."

Kira looked back at Hisagi. "He has a point."

"Ah… Fine."

Rosalia smiled, overjoyed.

"But there are going to be rules, got it? When we tell you to run, you do it. If we tell you to hide, you hide. You will keep out of sight, you won't make a sound. You will do as we say, got it?"

She nodded.

"Good." Hisagi looked around. "We spoke to Rin before we set out. He said that this was as close to the location as he could get us. So where is this hideout of their's?"

Rosalia looked around. "Um… I know there was a stone near the entrance by a withered tree. But…"

This was hard. It was very difficult to tell were anything was in a desert like this. Everything looked a lot alike. But Ichigo spotted it at once. "Over there." He pointed to where the soft sand should have been.

As they moved forward, they felt the weak spot in the earth where the entrance was. Ichigo went down first. Hisagi went down next with Rosalia in his arms and Kira brought up the rear. The sand cavern hadn't changed much since their first time here.

"From this point on, no talking," Hisagi told the girl. It went without saying for the others. If they saw Nathan, no one would shout out for him. They couldn't risk being exposed. "We have the element of surprise. They're not expecting us, so let's keep it that way."

They crept down the long dark passageway until they saw light. From that point on, they crawled in absolute silence. Keeping low to the ground, they peered into the main room.

The Arrancars had cleaned since the last time they had been down here. All the broken glass had been picked up and the smashed tables were either gone or fixed with nails and rope. They had replaced a lot of things around the underground lab, including test tubes, beakers and containers of strange looking goop. The main tower that held all the data collected according to Serpiente was still standing in the corner of the room, untouched.

But there was a new addition to the lab as well. There was a large machine dead ahead that looked a lot like a torture device that stretched a prisoner's body. But that wasn't what it was. The layout was all wrong. The straps were in the wrong places and this device was standing vertically rather than horizontally. It seemed that the large crank was used for lifting the device up rather than stretch a prisoner. However, this device already had a victim. A young man was already strapped into the thick chains and hoisted up between twin lightning rods. He looked like a monster from an old horror film.

"Nathan," Ichigo whispered.

The others nodded.

Rosalia looked to each person, concerned. She was advised not to speak, so all she could do was look each person in the eye with a worried expression, telling them all they needed to know.

There was no way to reach him without being spotted. They needed a plan. Hisagi tried to think.

"It might be best to wait for reinforcements to show up. I don't know if we can take them on by ourselves. They are Arrancars, after all. They're just as powerful as a captain or more."

Kira nudged Hisagi in the arm. "I counted two. There are supposed to be three according to the report."

Hisagi looked around. There were only two Arrancars in the room. So where was the third one?

Raposa paced in front of Nathan, very excited about what was about to take place. "At last. At long last, I finally have what I need. I never have to worry about anything ever again. I'll never revert back, I'll become stronger, faster… Hell, I'll even be immortal. I'll be impossible to kill if this works the way I planned it."

Nathan didn't say anything. He didn't even look at him.

"Oh, don't give me that crossed look. I see it." Raposa reached up and grabbed Nathan's jaw, demanding attention. "You knew this would happen. You offered it to us. This is all thanks to you. Don't worry. This will all be over soon."

"Yo, boss man," Serpiente called from a table nearby. "You know that there is a huge chance that this is going to kill him, right? I mean, I've looked it over and it seems very taxing on the person's body since we're extracting that gene from inside of him."

"So what? He served his purpose."

"I know, but I mean… What happens if it doesn't go right and we ruin the boy's body and the gene along with it?"

Raposa laughed. "Then it's a good thing we have a spare, huh? We can always go back and fetch the girl."

Nathan's head jerked up.

"Yeah, but don't you think the Soul Reapers would have wised up and moved her into a safe house or something?"

Raposa shrugged. "Eh." He looked back at the machine. "Let's fire this baby up. I can't wait anymore."

"Fine, fine." Serpiente moved towards a switch attached to the machine. His long fingers extended.

"Damn!" They couldn't wait anymore. Action had to be taken now. Hisagi grabbed his Zanpakuto and threw it at the switch.

The point of the blade came to rest right where Serpiente's hand had been moments before. He looked up. Raposa turned. "Who the hell are you?"

To keep their hiding place a secret, Hisagi had jumped out into the open just after his weapon was tossed. "I am Shuhei Hisagi, lieutenant of Squad 9. And I'm here for him." He pointed to Nathan strapped down behind the two Arrancars.

Raposa started laughing. "Oh? Really? You? Ha ha… That's funny."

With no warning, Raposa had launched himself into the air and slammed into Hisagi full force. Hisagi rolled out from under him and grabbed his weapon back from the lever. He held it out just as Raposa came back for a second attack.

"What are you waiting for?" he shouted to the other Arrancar. "Throw the switch!"

"You could say please…"

Just as he was about to turn on the machine, Ichigo jumped out of his hiding place to stop him. "I don't think so!"

Serpiente didn't look surprised to find him here as well. "Ichigo Kurosaki…" He slid his right foot across the floor, lowering himself. "Come take me on if you wish. I still have to thank you for your hair."

"My..?"

"Yes," he hissed. "It'd be nice to fight someone who isn't tangled up in my puppet strings at the moment."

Ichigo's blood boiled. "You! You did it!"

"Yeah, kinda…"

"You bastard!" Ichigo grabbed his sword from his back and slashed the air with it. He was ready to kill.

Serpiente let out a loud hiss and slid forward and aimed his hand at Ichigo's throat.

Seeing the action so close to her hiding spot, Rosalia coward behind her hands, frightened.

Wrong time. Picking up on her terror, Ichigo responded by screaming and hiding behind his sword. Serpiente's hand bounced off his blade. But Ichigo lost his chance to swing back. When the Arrancar hissed in his face, Ichigo turned and ran.

"Eh?" Kira had never seen Ichigo run like a coward before. He never ran from anything or anyone, except for maybe Kenpachi when he wanted a rematch. But Ichigo never ran from an enemy in such an important fight.

Ichigo ran around the lab, screaming his head off. When he found himself boxed in, Ichigo turned, lowered himself to the ground and hid behind his hands. Serpiente brought his foot down on Ichigo's head. He crossed both arms in the air to block as the Arrancar came in for seconds. Kick after kick came where he was kneeling.

Kira looked down at the girl on the ground. She was hiding behind her hands as well. Of course. They were linked. As long as she was suffering from crippling fear, so was Ichigo. He couldn't fight like this. Kira pulled her aside for a talk.

"Listen to me. You have to toughen up. You can't be afraid here. Not now."

"I can't help it," Rosalia whimpered. "I've never been this close to an Arrancar fight before. I'm scared."

"I know, but so is Ichigo."

"Huh?"

"Look." He pointed her to where Ichigo was being kicked by Serpiente repeatedly. "As long as you're suffering from crippling fear, so is Ichigo. He can't fight like this. He's too scared to make a move."

Rosalia felt even worse now. "I… I didn't mean to…"

Kira understood. This girl was from a different time period. Back then, women were viewed as frail and unable to handle anything upsetting, so they weren't allowed to be put into those kinds of situations. To Kira, a Hollow was no big deal. But to someone like her, they were terrifying. She had lived a sheltered life, never allowed to experience things that weren't viewed as good for a young lady by her father. Despite being a rebel and wanting adventure, Rosalia knew her limits. This wasn't the kind of adventure she wanted. She wanted a safe, pretend adventure were there was no risk of dying or injury. This wasn't a place for her.

Kira took her hands and knelt before her on the ground. "Please, miss, listen to me. I know that you're scared, but you can't let yourself give into it. You have to be brave and ignore it."

"I can't!" she cried. "I can't help being scared. How can I not be? These guys are dangerous. I know that. And I'm worried, too. I can't help the way I feel."

Kira looked at Nathan hooked up to the machine and had an idea. "What about Nathan? Don't you still want to save him?"

She looked up at him. "Y- yes…"

"He's a coward. He's scared, too. He doesn't like these guys anymore than you do. But he came here on his own for your sake. He came here for you. He wanted to protect you the only way he knew how. Don't you think he's scared?"

She sniffled and nodded.

"He did this for you. You came here for him. You want to save him, right? Well, there he is. He's right over there. But if you're too scared to move, then there's nothing that you can do for him. I can't help my friends because I have to protect you. And you can't do anything unless you move. Are you really going to let him die just because these guys are scary? Look at all the stuff he's done for your sake. He's up there now because of you. He did this for you. You were so determined to come here to bring him home and now you're just going to stand there and hide?"

Rosalia started to cry. "I know. I know!" She cried even harder. "I know what he's done for me. I know what he's willing to do for me. I know all that. And Nathan talks about how wonderful I am. He always talks about how I saved him. He talks about how I gave him and home and taught him things. But that's all I've done! He's done so much more for me. Whether he's doing me a favor or saving my life, it doesn't matter to him. He'll do it no matter what. For years he's done all the things I wanted, he's done all the things I told him to do. And he's gone beyond that, too! All for me! And what have I done? What have I done for him recently?"

Ichigo's arms couldn't block the barrage. From the corner of his eyes he saw the sole of a boot coming towards his head, and the next moment, he went flying sideways. With a loud crash into the wall, he didn't stand up. He'd had enough. Serpiente stood over him and raised his boot. He wasn't through yet.

Rosalia wiped her tears away. "If he's willing to risk his life for mine, than so am I! If he loves me enough to die in my place, then so am I! And if he's willing to venture out to a place such as this for my sake, then so will I! I'm not going to let Nathan die! Not for me! I'll save Nathan like he did me! All the times he's ever tried to save me… Now it's my turn to save him! I'm not useless anymore than he is! I have no skills either, but that won't stop me from trying. I'll help anyway I can. I will not let him die!"

Ichigo grabbed Serpiente's foot and threw him aside, suddenly overcome by a strong feeling of rage and determination. He felt like he could win now. _Thank you, Rosalia_… Now he could fight back.

Serpiente jerked his head aside to get his hair out of his face. "Fighting back now, Ichigo?" He looked at something on his right. "Hell, you're slow. Too late." He flipped a switch.

The switch.

"No!"

The machine attached to Nathan started to hum and whirl. Massive jolts of electricity shot out of the towers and lit Nathan up like a flashbulb.

"HAAAAAAAAARRUUUGGHHHH!"

Nathan screamed unlike anything they had ever heard. He wasn't just in agony. He was dying in a most painful way. The machine was stealing his life away.

"No! Nathan!" Rosalia screamed before anyone could stop her.

Raposa looked up from his fight with Hisagi. "The girl! Grab her!"

Serpiente moved to grab her, but Ichigo cut him off, sword pointed at his neck. "Sorry, kinda stuck here."

Kira shoved Rosalia down the tunnel and told her to run.

Raposa couldn't go after her with Hisagi attacking him. It seemed that she would escape after all.

"You guys can't do nothing without me!" Cercenar appeared in the doorway beside the data tower. "Move aside! I'll get her."

As he moved, Kira moved in front of him. "Raise your head, Wabisuke!"

The two collided.

The impact caused Cercenar's torso to reel back and the ground buckled as he was forced several steps backward. Kira got the worst of the hit. He was sent skidding backward into the cave wall, a jagged rock propelling into the back of his leg, shattering his kneecap. He yelped in pain, but forced himself to stand. He pointed his curved Zanpakuto at the Arrancar, challenging him.

Cercenar laughed. "Please…" He charged and slammed Kira into the wall for the second time. Cercenar didn't bother with his own sword. He started slashing at Kira with his bare hands, which were just as sharp as daggers. He slashed away at Kira's neck and chest. Kira kept his sword up, to block most of the hits, but soon his vision was stained red with blood. Cercenar delivered one final hit before leaving Kira behind and entering the tunnel after Rosalia.

Kira dug himself out of the wall and started to chase after him. "No..! I won't let you!"

He started down the tunnel, but the Arrancar was out of sight. He was too far ahead. It was obvious that he would reach her first. Kira could never catch up.

"Mister Kira, over here!"

"Huh?" He skidded to a halt and saw Rosalia hiding in a crevice in the cave wall. It was just big enough to hide her. Even he didn't notice her. The Arrancar must have kept going, never bothering to look to the walls. "You're ok?"

"Sure am! You told me to hide, didn't you?" She looked back down the tunnel. "You know, he's not really smart. He seems less scary now."

Kira helped her out of the opening in the wall and over to the other side. I'll keep you safe in case he returns. "Stay close."

"Ok."

Cercenar tunneled up through the opening in the sand and out into the desert air. There was no sign of the girl anywhere. "Damn… Where could she have gone? But I suppose it would be pretty hard for such a tiny thing to crawl up that tunnel with such a big stomach alone. She must still be down there. Damn it all."

He sniffed the air. Something was stirring. He turned around. The sand was being moved by the wind. A created wind. Someone was here with him.

"I'd better get back down there. I've got to find that girl. I'll kill that Soul Reaper yet!"

"I don't think so."

He turned back around. A small army of Soul Reapers were standing behind him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of Squad 10. And I'm not letting you go so easily."

Cercenar chuckled in his throat. "You want to take me on, pipsqueak? Be my guest."

X

Hearing Nathan's continuous screams put Ichigo on edge. He had to save him before it was too late. That machine had to go. But first, this Arrancar. Serpiente slid across the ground like an ice skater, slashing at him as he went. He needed an opening. As graceful as Serpiente was, his moves were also rhythmic. Right after the fourth slash, he always bobbed then came at him from behind.

The first chance he got, Ichigo took it. As soon as Serpiente bobbed, Ichigo slammed him in the neck with his elbow. Serpiente was sent flying back onto the ground, coughing and choking.

Ichigo took his only chance now. He ran towards the machine and grabbed the lever. He pushed up on it, but it didn't budge. He pushed harder and it snapped off in his hands.

"Damn it!"

Nathan was still screaming, his pale skin looking almost translucent. It was clear that he was completely emaciated. This machine was killing him. And soon there would be nothing left.

But without the lever, what could he do to shut it off and save him?

Ichigo looked down at his sword. His sword.

"Hang on, Nathan!"

Ichigo positioned himself with his sword. He raised it high over his head and brought it down on the controls. Sparks flew everywhere. He struck again. Sizzling and crackling echoed in the underground cave. But the machine wasn't shutting off. Nathan was actually screaming louder. Was he hurting him? Speeding up the process?

"Stay with me, Nathan! I'll get you out of there! Just hang on!"

Ichigo slashed away at wires and buttons and long tubes. He kept slashing. Something had to work.

_Don't die on me, Nathan!_

The tall rods were next. They were too large to cut clean through. He had to tear them down another way. He stood back and aimed carefully at the right rod giving off high volts of electricity.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The blast came dangerously close to Nathan but missed him by inches. The tower was still giving off large bolts of power, but the attack did its job. It started to fall. Faster than expected. Ichigo had no time to clear the tower. It fell, trapping him under its tall body. He felt a buzzing warmth tingling through him. He felt his skin vibrate. His hair stood on end. Then it started to hurt.

"Ichigo!" Rosalia pushed Kira aside and ran to his side. "Ichigo!"

She grabbed his hand hoping to pull him free, completing the circuit. Electricity flowed through each of them and back to the tower. Rosalia released Ichigo's hand and fell back onto a broken table. Ichigo coughed but was otherwise unharmed. The tower shorted out and without it's partner, the power couldn't flow, resulting in the other powering down as well.

Nathan stopped screaming and hung lifelessly from his binds.

Ichigo caught his breath and wormed his way out from under the tower. He looked at Rosalia. "You ok?"

She nodded weakly. "Yeah… That was scary. Are you alright?"

Ichigo was about to answer when he noticed something was different. If she was scared, why wasn't he? They were linked, after all, weren't they? Were they? He didn't care for pink anymore. He wasn't craving sweets or cute things. He felt… normal.

"Hey… hey, you know what? I think that zap severed the link between us. I think I'm back to my old self again."

"Really? How wonderful!"

"Not a moment too soon, either." Serpiente was on his feet again. "We're not finished yet."

Ichigo pulled Rosalia to her feet and pushed her away. "Get back, out of the way. Go back into the tunnel with Kira."

"But-"

"I said go."

She didn't argue and ran back over to where Kira stood. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back out of sight.

Ichigo stood in front of Serpiente, ready to fight at his all this time.

"You idiot!" Raposa threw Hisagi aside, standing up. "Look what you've done!" He was pointing at the broken machine. "He was almost done!"

"He is done!" Hisagi pointed at Nathan's restraints. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!" A red blast shot out faster than it could be stopped and severed the restraints. Nathan fell to the ground, unmoving but free. Next to go was the bed itself that held Nathan down for the procedure. "Hado 54, Haien!" It was incinerated in seconds, ensuring that it could never be used again.

Raposa rounded on Hisagi. "You'll pay for that!" He grabbed Hisagi by his throat and lifted him up. After making eye contact with him for an instant, he threw Hisagi up into the air. Raposa opened his mouth, unleashing a powerful cero. The red and yellow beam shot out and caught Hisagi's left arm, hip and leg. He was blasted into the wall above the cave door and landed hard on the ground, smoking.

Raposa turned and stalked away towards a back room. "You deal with them for now, Serpiente. I've got to see if we can save this."

"Sure thing, I've got no life to get back to."

Raposa left through a door.

Ichigo didn't go after him. He had his hands full with this Arrancar. Serpiente smiled at him.

"Shall we?"

Kira grabbed Hisagi and dragged him into the tunnel where they were hiding and turned him over onto his back. Hisagi wasn't looking too good. Raposa had slashed him multiple times in his face and neck. He also had deep gashes on his torso. An open wound on his chest kept squirting out fresh blood. And to make matters worse, that cero attack had charred his left side pretty bad. He had second and third degree burns, charred flesh and blood stopped Kira from touching him anymore than necessary.

He set to work, performing healing kidos on his injured friend while Rosalia sat by and watched. Having to take care of both of them meant that he couldn't go back and help Ichigo or go after Raposa.

Rosalia made a small noise similar to a gasp causing Kira to look up.

Maybe Ichigo didn't need his help after all.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Raposa slammed the wall with his fist. There were no spare parts left to use for the broken machine. How would he fix it now? "And I was so close, too!"

There was nothing useful in this room. This back room they used mostly as a den. This was where they sat around and relaxed. But they also used it to store supplies and back-up equipment. It was mostly empty now, having used most of the supplies in the laboratory. Now there were only some empty boxes and chairs laying around. All of which were useless to him.

"I will not… I will not revert! I will get more power! I will get immortality! I'm not giving up! All I need is that gene. I might have to do it the old fashioned way and simply consume him. Maybe that'll give me the power that I seek. I'm running out of options. And the old saying goes 'you are what you eat'. And if that doesn't work, I can always use the girl. She's a spare, after all."

"That's an interesting way of thinking. As expected from an Arrancar, such as yourself."

Raposa turned around. A woman was standing behind him. "Another one? I am so sick of you guys popping up like this." He gave her an unimpressed look, folding his long arms. "And so what's your name, miss?"

"Soi Fon," she said casting off her captain's jacket. She already had her Zanpakuto on her finger, not taking any chances.

"I see." Raposa smiled at her. "Such a little thing, you are. This shouldn't take long."

X

Up above the sand, Hitsugaya was locked in a battle against the third Arrancar. So far, there was no clear winner. Rangiku stood off to the side, watching.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya called to her. "Don't stand around! Follow after Soi Fon and help the others below!"

"Yes, sir!" She started to run towards the entrance.

"I don't think so!" Cercenar howled and about twenty Hollows answered. "Whoever said that we were alone? We have Hollows at our disposal as well."

The Hollows attack. Rangiku was forced back. Several Soul Reapers came to help her out. There was no way they could go into the tunnel now. There were too many for such a small group. And to make matters worse, more were on their way, racing down the sand dunes.

"Perfect."

X

Back below ground, Ichigo and Serpiente were squaring off. Right now, they were just circling each other; Ichigo, the only one bothering with his sword.

"It's easier just to walk away, you know."

Ichigo glared at him. "Yeah, I know."

"So why are you still here?"

"Because I'm not leaving Nathan or Rosalia with you."

Serpiente threw a hand into the air, carelessly. "Why not one? Just leave us one? You can have the other one. That's fair. Why keep them both for yourself?"

"They're not pawns in your sick game! They're people! Stop treating them like that!"

"Touchy."

Ichigo raised his sword and attacked. Serpiente pulled out his own weapon and clashed with Ichigo for the first time. Ichigo felt his arms vibrate from their swords clanging together. He was strong. And that was only a block. If he had any chance of winning, he had to unleash his bankai.

Serpiente threw him back and immediately slashed at his stomach. Ichigo narrowly escaped being cut in half by doing a back-flip in the air and landing on a tabletop. Serpiente slashed at his ankles and Ichigo jumped, landing on the blade. He brought his own sword down the hilt, causing Serpiente to let go to avoid being cut. He gracefully jumped up and kicked Ichigo in the face. The impact sent him flying back, allowing Serpiente time to retrieve his sword.

Ichigo recovered quickly and unleashed his hidden power. "Bankai!"

Serpiente watched Ichigo's clothes change into a more formfitting uniform and his sword shrink into a more normal looking katana as black as midnight. He looked mildly amused. "Now the fight really begins."

Ichigo stood in front of Serpiente, locking eyes with him. He had so much to hate him for. He had so many reasons to kill him. So why didn't he feel like it was the time?

The decision was made for him when Serpiente started speaking again. "Before we end this, tell me… Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why not one life over the other? They're both precious to you?"

"Yes," Ichigo admitted. "But not just for me. They belong together, too. They're a family. How could I chose which one should die?"

"Then why not leave them both with us so that they could die together?"

What a cruel thing to even suggest. "I didn't expect you to understand. You don't know how they feel about each other. How I feel about them. You don't know anything."

All the amusement drained from Serpiente's face. He gave Ichigo a cold hard look. "You know, that's the second time today I was told that I didn't understand feelings. I must say, I'm mighty sick of it."

"What am I to think when you say such things?"

Serpiente lowered his sword. "Then let me confess something to you."

Ichigo wasn't sure if it was a trick or not, but something willed him to lower his sword as well. Serpiente wasn't going to attack him now. And even Ichigo had to admit that he was curious to hear what he had to say.

"The others don't know this about me. I never told any of them. But you remember how Raposa told you that we were all Adjuchas when Aizen picked us up and made us into Arrancars? Well, that was a lie. I wasn't an Adjucha when I was brought in. I was a Vasto Lorde."

At first Ichigo wasn't sure if he had heard him right. "Wait… what? You're a..? So you're stronger than these guys?"

"Yes, that's correct. But they don't know that. I only joined Aizen because I was bored and had nothing better to do. I never wanted to be his pawn. I didn't see eye to eye with him, ever. I never wanted to serve him. I hated him."

"So why'd you stay?"

Serpiente looked at the floor. "I was bored. I didn't want to obey. I didn't care. I had no reason to follow him or to fear him. There was nothing I wanted or cared about. But…" His eyes changed. "But then I found a reason. I… found one female there that struck me in a way I never felt before. She made the place likeable."

"A girl?"

"An Espada. I fell for number 3."

"Number… 3?"

He nodded. "She was worth staying for. I didn't even know that something like me could love another. But I did. She was a most beautiful ram."

"Ram?" Ichigo remembered. "Ah! You don't mean Nel, do you?"

Serpiente looked up. "No one but her closest friends could call her that. And that was only if she was in the mood for it. She was my reason to stay. As long as I was loyal, I could stay and be with her. I could see her pass by in the halls. It was worth it. She was most powerful. Her display of power was truly magnificent. I loved everything about her. And that emotion compelled me to do strange things like give her gifts. I never stuck around to see her reaction. I just left them nearby and waited to see her pick it up around the corner."

He sounded like a bashful teenaged boy dealing with his first true love. Ichigo almost pitied him. Serpiente even started to blush a little.

"I never felt so good before. To see her smile and to know that I caused it… made me feel so… indescribable."

"Then you should know how Nathan and Rosalia feel about each other. Why are you trying to take them away from each other? If you know how it feels to be in love with someone, then…"

Serpiente shot him a look of loathing. "I also know pain and suffering. One night after she and Espada Number 5 had one of their usual spats, she vanished. I know what that means. When an Arrancar disappears like that, it means that they are dead." He stomped his foot on the ground. "She's dead, Kurosaki! My love is gone and was replaced by unfathomable misery and rage! It was Aizen's job to look after us! He should have protected her! He should have stopped him from taking her!"

This guy had the wrong idea. Nel wasn't dead. She was just a toddler now. She wasn't in power, that's why she wasn't there anymore. And she didn't even remember being an Espada. Clearly Serpiente didn't know that. He was misinformed.

"Without her… I…" Serpiente breathed roughly. "I…I have no reason to go on. The purpose is gone."

"Then why are you trying to become immortal?"

He looked up. "It's Raposa's wish, not mine. I only joined him because I had no reason to stay and there was a good possibility of getting revenge on Aizen which I wanted. Raposa hates him just as much. But…" Serpiente turned away. "It's complicated."

Ichigo didn't understand. Revenge? A lost love? Was it best to tell him that Nel was still alive? No. Even if he knew, it wouldn't change the fact that she was gone in his eyes. She wasn't a woman he could love anymore. And he might risk putting her in danger if this Arrancar knew. It was best for him to keep silent about it.

"Ichigo Kurosaki… I am still an Arrancar. I can still fight. I am strong."

He gripped his sword tightly but didn't raise it.

Serpiente held his sword out to the side towards the wall. Not at Ichigo. "Though without her in my life, I see no point in going on. Life's just boring now. But true to my nature, I can't just lay down and die. It's in our pathetic nature to cling to life. That's why I can't back down. As a Vasto Lorde and an Arrancar, I cannot simply give up on life so easily. I will die, but it will be by the hand of someone stronger than I. Over the years, I've never met anyone who could do that."

Now Ichigo was starting to understand.

"I will go down fighting. That is the only right way for me to die."

That's just what Ichigo was thinking.

"And to do it right, I will go all out in this fight." Beneath his calm delivery lay a core of iron resolve. Serpiente raised his sword over his head. The blade started to hum and turn a sickly green color. "Spread, Veneno!"

Ichigo shielded himself behind his sword as his true power was released. It sounded like a bomb had gone off in the center of the cave, shaking the walls and rattling glass containers like wind chimes. A blast of green light engulfed Serpiente which was only broken when he slashed through it with his own hand.

Ichigo took a step back, but not to run. His positioned himself to fight.

Serpiente clawed his way out of the blinding light and stood in front of Ichigo like a proud statue. His white suit was gone and in its place was a winding formfitting armor made of bone. His body was long and legless like a serpent's. From his chest up, were his only human features. His arms were long and thin, but strong and very fast. His hands were dark and sharp like daggers. His hair had also changed. It was like platinum and ran down his back and beyond the armor of bone. He was a snake monster.

Ichigo held his position showing no signs of fear.

Serpiente opened his mouth, showing him a mouthful of sharp fangs. Then lunged.

The next thing Ichigo knew, the Arrancar was in his face, trying to pull the sword out of his grip. He held tighter and shoved him back. Serpiente wouldn't be cast off so easily. He held onto Ichigo's sword with both hands. The blade wasn't cutting his hands no matter how hard he gripped. They must have been protected by this release. They were his swords now.

As he held Ichigo's sword still, he wrapped his long tail around Ichigo's body and started to squeeze.

"As I thought. You're no match for me, either. No one will ever kill me."

It was getting difficult to breathe. Ichigo had to get out of this. He got an idea. "Getsuga Tensho!"

The blast hit Serpiente in the face and sent him flying. The tail still wrapped around Ichigo sent him soaring as well. The two smashed into the wall together, sending chunks of rubble raining down on top of them. Ichigo then turned his sword around and stabbed Serpiente's long tail. The pain caused him to release Ichigo and he landed on the ground under him, pointing his sword up a second time.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The black and red blast hit Serpiente in the chest and disappeared behind a cloud of sand and dust.

Ichigo took this opportunity to gain some distance between him and started to climb over the tables. A large bookcase caught his eye and he leapt up towards it. He felt a pressure on his leg. Serpiente had grabbed his ankle with his left hand and pulled him back by force. He turned Ichigo around, wrapping his body around his and did a backwards dive towards the ground. He intended to smash his skull into the hard ground, but that didn't happen. Ichigo threw his own weight into the mix by throwing himself back, completely the loop. Rather than smash head first into the ground, they ending up slamming into it with their legs. Serpiente's tail cushioned most of the fall being wrapped around Ichigo's legs, but Ichigo was still pretty hurt.

That was Serpiente's trademark move. He had tried the same thing against Byakuya through Ichigo. This was the second time it ever failed for him.

More determined than ever to win the fight, Serpiente took it to the next level. He inhaled deeply and hacked something up. He opened his mouth and spat. Ichigo jumped up narrowly dodging a disgusting greenish slime ball. It started to eat away at the ground where it had hit like acid.

He spat again and Ichigo took it in the arm. It ate away at his sleeve and burned into his skin. Another one came at his head, but this one he managed to dodge. He started to run backwards, keeping out of range. Serpiente slithered after him, spitting at his feet and legs. Ichigo ran out of space and slammed into a bookcase. He started to climb up to escape Serpiente, who was quick to follow him up.

Ichigo started swinging as soon as he saw Serpiente's head. He reached up and pulled the sword down, forcing Ichigo to one knee and spat in his face. Ichigo moved his other hand up and blocked it with his other sleeve which was soon gone like the other.

"Getsuga Tensho!" The attack blasted Serpiente's hand, causing him to drop the sword. Ichigo swung at his head again. A clear miss. But the next time he managed to get a hit in. Blood sprayed across Serpiente's face, his left shoulder cut into. He moved to grab Ichigo, the quick movement too much for the skinny bookcase and they toppled over. Ichigo landed on a table while Serpiente landed in a pile of broken glass and papers. He scrambled up.

"You ain't seen nothing yet!"

Ichigo didn't doubt him.

Hissing like a cobra, Serpiente lunged forward and chomped down in a table leg. He broke it off in his teeth and spat it to the ground. He did the same with the other table leg, causing the table to fall. Ichigo slid down the smooth surface and into Serpiente's awaiting jaws. He clamped down on Ichigo's leg. He kicked the snake-man in the face and pulled his leg out.

As soon as he tried to stand on it, it seized up on him in a terrible cramp. It was paralyzed.

"Don't worry, Ichigo. It doesn't last long," Serpiente hissed with a smile. "The toxin only lasts a few minutes. But that's all the time that I need. If I get you in the head… Well…" he started laughing.

Ichigo knew why. If that stuff was injected into his head, it could shut down his whole body. It could blind him, kill him, anything. It wasn't good.

Serpiente struck at his heels. Ichigo jumped up out of the way. But when he landed, he toppled over on his bad leg. He couldn't run on this. He couldn't even jump properly. He had to wait for the toxin to dissolve in his body. Once it wore off, he could use it again. That is, if Serpiente was telling him the truth.

He had to keep moving in the meantime. Serpiente struck like a cobra, fast and deadly. For a moment, Ichigo thought that his fangs had hit him again, but it turned out to be a shard of glass. Even with bankai, this guy was too strong for him. He was too fast. He had too many weapons to use against him. It wasn't going to be easy to defeat him.

Serpiente whipped him with his tail and pinned him to the wall. Now he had a clear shot at his head. He struck. Ichigo turned his head at the last possible second, allowing his fangs to sink into his shoulder instead. At once, he felt his skin tighten and go numb. He dropped his sword, unable to hold onto it anymore. It fell to the ground with a clang.

"I knew it," Serpiente hissed. "I knew I couldn't be killed by the likes of you. It is hopeless."

Hopeless for Ichigo or hopeless for him was unclear. But either way, he sounded disappointed.

He reared back for another strike, opening his mouth wide.

Ichigo needed to move. He needed to attack. But how? His sword was gone, his right arm was useless and his leg was still numb. Pinned to the wall by his tail, what choice did he have? Where was the answer?

In his left hand. He raised it up in front of his face, donning his Hollow mask. Before Serpiente could strike, Ichigo unleashed a cero of his own. It exploded in Serpiente's face like a bomb. His tail went slack, allowing Ichigo to free himself. He grabbed his sword in his left hand and balanced himself on his good leg. It was a major handicap, but it would have to do. All he had to do was run out the clock now.

Serpiente coiled around himself, turning his body into a large spring. He started firing spit balls of slime everywhere. Ichigo flashed away, using the extra boast from his mask. He flashed left and right, up and down. But one of the slime balls managed to hit him in his thigh. He slammed face-first into the ground where another spit ball blasted him in the back. He screamed as the acid burned into his flesh, setting his skin on fire. It was like taking a hot pot of boiling water from a hot stove and pressing it down into the small of his exposed back. It hurt like hell.

Ichigo rolled over and shot another cero in his face. This one was weaker than the other. He still hadn't mastered all his Hollow powers yet. Not without losing himself, anyway. He had to be sure not to take it too far just in case. There was always that fear of his Hollow taking over. Right now, he was tamed. Sort of.

Serpiente turned his red face towards him. His flesh was charred but he was healing quickly. He brought his face closer to Ichigo's. His cheeks were rosy. Ichigo never noticed that about him before. He looked so young and full of life. And he wanted none of it. He ran his long tongue out of his mouth and across his lips. He licked the edge of Ichigo's mask, tasting him. No, his scent. It was his scent that the snake was after. He was smelling him.

"Will no one kill me?"

Ichigo blinked beneath his mask.

Serpiente almost looked sad. He moved even closer. Ichigo could feel his hot breath on his neck, he was so close. He locked eyes with Ichigo for one second then spat on his mask. It dissolved quickly, leaving Ichigo powerless.

Well, maybe not powerless.

Serpiente rose up. "We're fighting at our all, Kurosaki. Don't hate me for doing what's in my nature. I'm going all the way. So don't be angry that I removed your mask and weakened you. The whole point of a fight is to weaken the other. If you're not strong enough to win even after being weakened, then you don't deserve to win at all."

Maybe there was some truth in that.

Serpiente whipped him with his tail again and lifted him up, throwing him into a wall. Ichigo got up. His leg was starting to get some feeling back. He could move his arm slightly, but he still couldn't feel it. He had to buy himself more time. Serpiente was upon him in an instant. He slammed him into the wall again. And again. He whipped him with his long, heavy tail. He tore Ichigo from the wall and onto the ground. He pounced on him and tried to bite his sword in half. Ichigo blasted him with another attack. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Before he could get up from the attack, another one came at his head.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Serpiente slithered up, his face bleeding, his skin torn and hanging off his skull. After a few pants, his wounds had healed. Was there no way to end this?

"Fight and kill me, Ichigo Kurosaki! I want to die, but I'll do it the right way! I'm not going down without a fight!"

At last, Ichigo fully understood his reasoning. He understood him better now. Serpiente was a warrior at heart. He was a fighter. He wanted to go down fighting. Even though he had lost the will to live, he wasn't going to take his own life. But he didn't want to run out the clock, either. He wanted someone else to kill him. But he wasn't going to give up on life without a fight. He wasn't just going to lower his head and say 'kill me' that easily. That was a coward's way in his book. If he was going to die in a fight, he was going to be killed by someone stronger than he was. That was the right way to do it.

That's why he was fighting so hard. He wanted to go down fighting, giving it his all. This way, he would die knowing that he was killed by someone stronger than himself. No tricks. No holding back. No feeling cheated. No giving up. An honorable death. No regrets. Only then could he have closure.

Ichigo felt the same way. He fought because he had a reason to. And he won because he had to. But if he was ever going to die, it would be at his time. If it was in a fight, he would want to go down fighting, dying by the hands of someone stronger than himself in a fair fight to the death. Giving it his all, every step of the way. The both of them.

At last he understood.

Hissing, Serpiente plowed into him again with his skull. Ichigo forced him back with his sword. But in the opposite hand, Ichigo wasn't that strong. As he felt Serpiente wrap his tail around his body again, Ichigo sprang up, clearing the attack. Above his head, Ichigo stabbed Serpiente in the shoulder. He roared and slashed Ichigo back with his claws. They stood their ground, slicing each other with their weapons.

They sprang apart.

Ichigo could feel his arm again. And his leg seemed fine as well. He was back.

Serpiente turned his body into a spring and pounced on Ichigo, landing on his torso. His arms free, Ichigo stabbed him in the shoulder and his gut. It had little effect. Serpiente spat acid at him again, but Ichigo move aside, dodging.

He sighed. "Such tenacity…"

Ichigo pointed his sword straight up at him. "I'm never giving up. Not ever."

Serpiente got off him and slithered away. He looked back at Nathan on the floor. He still wasn't moving. "I will never understand…"

Ichigo got to his feet. "Understand what?"

"Why you care."

"I already explained that to you."

"But for him? He's nothing special. That's why I can't see it."

Ichigo looked upon Nathan slumped on the ground. Poor, weak, clumsy, unimpressive Nathan. Just a servant born in a small, poor town back one hundred years ago. Even now, his appearance was anything but remarkable. After that machine sucked out much of his life, he looked even weaker now than he did before. His pale skin looked ghostly, as translucent and mysterious as mist. His still face even now held much pain and woe, years of suffering never leaving him. His scars were proof enough of that. Still, there was a transcendent beauty to his haggard form.

"Why?" Serpiente asked looking back at Ichigo. "Why does it matter? Why are you so desperate to save them? To save him? What's he to you?"

"He's my friend. That's enough of a reason. I care because he's my friend."

"So? You have others, don't you?"

"That doesn't matter to me."

He scoffed. "He's just like everyone else."

"That's why I need to help him."

"But why? What makes him so special if he's like all the others?"

"Why was she so precious to you? Why did you love Nel and no one else?"

He couldn't answer. She touched him in a way no one else could. You could try and try, but it would only be an attempt. Mimicry. All other touches would be similar, but not the one. Not hers. That was love. There was only one. One unique person just for him. And she was gone.

So why stay? There was no point without her in his sight.

Serpiente flexed his claws. "I have nothing more to say to you."

"Me neither." Ichigo raised his weapon.

This was it.

The next strike would decide it.

The Arrancar bolted forward. "Kurosaki!"

And in that instant, Ichigo choose to strike. He leaned forward on his left foot, then broke into a dead run.

Serpiente matched his movement, raising his pointed hand like a sword.

Two steps away. Then one. Their eyes met.

Ichigo pitied him. He was going to kill him. So why didn't he feel remorse for him?

He led with his sword. He felt a moment of resistance as his blade made contact with Serpiente's chest, feeling it slide clean through his body, between his rib cages and out his back. At the same time, he felt something hot across his face. Serpiente's hand, which was meant to slice into Ichigo's forehead, grazed across his cheek instead, cutting his face open.

The momentum of their clash ended, but the force behind Ichigo's attack pushed them both forward and into the wall, stopping only when the tip of his sword hit something hard. The data tower Serpiente had tried so hard to defend the first time they had fought. Now Serpiente was pinned to the very machine he tried so hard to protect.

Their eyes still locked, all they could hear was the sound of each other breathing.

Then Serpiente vomited blood. Ichigo felt something hot hit his hand. He looked down. It was the blood. Ichigo had pushed so hard with his sword that the guard was up to his chest, the hilt was now the only distance between them. His blood was on his hands.

And still he felt no remorse.

He felt something pulling his sword down. He looked and saw Serpiente's hand on his hilt. But he wasn't pulling it down. He was resting his hand on it. No, not even that. He held it as if to see if there was anyway to pull it out without moving it. Or to make sure that it was really there in his body.

His dark eyes drifted down to the sword in his body then back up at Ichigo.

"Kuro… sa… ki…" The longing murmur reminded him of a lover's call. His shaking hand drew closer to Ichigo's face. It couldn't be declined. He placed it gingerly on Ichigo's face, his touch cold and almost unrecognizable. As his vision faded, he stimulated his senses by sliding his hand across Ichigo's cheek. For now, before he drifted away completely, he could feel the warmth of another body close to him. Even if it wasn't the one he wanted. He gave Ichigo a weak smile, his face so young and clear. Like everything in his life had been resolved in just this one moment. "Thank you."

Why didn't he feel remorse for him?

The tips of his fingers gently caressed his cheek before succumbing to gravity. His energetic rosy skin tone faded into a white color of snow. He looked cleansed. Serpiente gazed past Ichigo's head, beyond anything his own eyes could see. He greeted death with a smile. "I'm coming for you, Nelliel. Please… wait for me." His final words ended there, though his lips kept moving, as his last breath passed through his lungs and was carried away by the wind.

Now he felt remorse.

* * *

OMG T^T I feel bad for him now! I love you, Serpiente!

Please review! ^-^


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

Soi Fon rushed at Raposa at top speed. She stabbed him with Suzumebachi. A butterfly tattoo appeared on his right cheek. He winced, but other than that, didn't react. He swung his arms at her, hoping to catch her in his grasp. But she was too quick for him. A second strike hit his leg and a third on his back.

She flashed to a stop. "If I hit you one more time in any of those places, you're dead. Death in two strikes. That's it. You have no hope of winning."

He turned around to face her. "That's it? Is that what you think, girl? Pathetic."

"It's not pathetic. It's the truth. Even an Arrancar isn't immune to my Zanpakuto's ability."

"You think so, huh?" He spread his arms out wide. "Then go right ahead and kill me. See if you can. You have three spots to choose from. Go on."

She stayed back, keeping her distance.

"What's the matter?"

Soi Fon glared at him. "This is a trick of some sort. I'm on to you."

He laughed. "No tricks. I told you that you're free to try. But know that it's all for naught. You cannot win."

Soi Fon wasn't stupid. She knew her limits. She also knew better than to trust an Arrancar's word. But her speed surpassed his by far. If she could strike him quick enough, it was as good as done. She kicked off from the ground and flashed behind him, stabbing him for the second and final time in the back, directly on top of the first black butterfly.

She sprang back as soon as she was done and waited. It would only be a second.

One second ticked by. Then another. Then three. Four.

"Uh?" she gasped. It shouldn't take nearly this long. Why wasn't he dead yet?

Raposa started laughing all over again. "Get it now, girl? You can't kill me that way. Not by using that Zanpakuto of yours."

"I don't understand. Why? Why isn't it working?"

"Allow me to explain it to you in a way you will understand." He pointed to the tattoo on his cheek. "This here is a toxin, correct? You kill with venom in your Zanpakuto. You're weapon his a poison type. That's how I knew I was never in any danger."

"What?"

His smile spread. "Do you know how long I've been around Serpiente, a poison type as well? Long enough to become immune to all poisons and toxins. Your weapon has no effect on me!"

Soi Fon stepped back. Without her weapon, how will she fight?

"My turn, girl." He opened his mouth and fired off another cero. It missed her head by inches as she ducked, a giant hole in the wall behind her.

Before she could react, Raposa was racing towards her. She was off like a rocket, zooming to the right and then behind him. As he turned, she sprang up towards the ceiling, getting ready to use a kido. He fired another cero at her. She moved out of the way just in time. The attacked blasted a hole through the ceiling, sand raining down into the room, threatening to bury them both.

"You fool!" Soi Fon snapped. "Planning to kill us both?"

"That's the idea."

Soi Fon landed on a large crate. "What?"

"Oh, don't worry. I won't die. I've survived much worse."

She zoomed towards him again. "I'll kill you before that happens! I've survived worse myself!"

Raposa aimed another cero in her face. She zoomed away a little too late, taking the attack in the leg. She struggled to remain standing. Somehow she managed and was off again in a flash as another one came at her from behind. Another one was aimed right in front of her, cutting her off. She skidded to a halt and looked up at him. He was still standing there, grinning. He hadn't moved in all this time.

Why was that?

She got her answer when he snapped his fingers. The ground beneath her erupted in flames, burning her alive. She batted at the flames, desperately trying to find her way out. She dropped to the ground and rolled her way out, gasping for air.

Raposa stood above her, smiling. "There's a reason why I was an Espada. I'm strong. Far more so than you. Give up and die already."

She grabbed his heel, but not to pull herself up. "Never!" She pulled him down to her level and punched him in the face. "I have other means of fighting than just my Zanpakuto! I'm not rolling over yet!"

Raposa smiled. "Oh? I just hope your friends feel the same way above."

"What?" she gasped.

"That's right. I know about the others above. I also know that there are Hollows and Gillians above giving them all a hard time. Oh, and another Arrancar as well. You really think your fight is here with me?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you have a choice. You can stay here with me and continue this hopeless, never-ending fight. Or you could go above ground and help your friends. You pick."

She didn't even have to think about it. "My orders were to take you down. They can handle themselves. Besides, Captain Hitsugaya is with them. He's powerful enough for your Arrancar companion."

"Oh?" He started to laugh loudly. "Is that so? And what if I told you that there is a good chance of this captain being controlled by a voodoo doll the same way Kurosaki was?"

She let out a gasp. "What?"

"That's right. He could be attacking his allies even as we speak! Want that on your conscience?"

"How do I know that you're not lying?"

He shrugged. "Your call."

Now she was torn. What to do? Was it possible that Hitsugaya was under the same control as Ichigo or was that just a lie? But her mission was to stop this man by any means necessary. She turned back to him. "There are enough people up there should you be telling the truth. My mission is to kill you first."

Raposa sighed. "Then if that's the case…" He rolled to his feet at the same time Soi Fon cart-wheeled upright. "Allow me to level the playing field."

An eerie mist started to form around his feet. Soi Fon realized what this was and readied herself for what was to come. Raposa pulled out his sword.

"Shine, Resplandecer!"

X

Ichigo shook Nathan's shoulders. He wasn't moving. He hadn't moved since the machine started to suck him dry. Was he too late? He couldn't be. Not now. Not after all this.

"Nathan. Nathan, wake up. Nathan, can you hear me? Say something."

He didn't do anything. Not even a moan. He didn't even breathe.

"Nathan. Open your eyes. Nathan!"

He didn't.

Ichigo shook him harder. "Nathan. Come on, don't do this to me! Nathan, wake up! Wake up!"

He shoved him hard and waited. Nothing. He released Nathan's shoulders and he slumped down like a rag doll. He was too late.

"Nathan…"

Even now, Nathan's face so conflicted. He looked scared and in so much pain. And they said that the dead look like they're sleeping. Not true at all. When Nathan slept, he looked peaceful. In fact, he was so at peace, it was hard to wake him. He wanted to keep enjoying the bliss of his dreams. Nathan shouldn't ever look like this. Like a trapped creature, staring at death, feeling so helpless and alone. Suffering. Hadn't he been through enough of that?

Ichigo sat back, looking at Nathan until it became too painful. "Damn it." He reached forward and gave him another shake. His eyes widened at the blood on his hand. It transferred to Nathan's shirt. And in that moment, Ichigo remembered that night. That horrible, unforgettable night when he tried to wake his mother. His dead mother. It was his fault. And now again, he was doing the same thing to someone else. Trying to wake them and having no such luck. The blood on his hands, the blood on the person he was trying so desperately to save. Everything was the same. "Damn it!"

Ichigo slammed his fist into the wall and the broken tower beside him.

_After everything we've gone through… After everything I did… It was still hopeless_… Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look at Nathan anymore. _And after you saved me… I'm sorry. I sorry that I couldn't do the same for you. I'm sorry that I… was too late. That I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you_.

Ichigo's chest felt so hot. He wasn't crying, but he sure felt like it. It had been years since he had last cried. Doing it again might make him feel better. But he just couldn't get a tear. Was it possible to feel so bad that you couldn't cry?

It must have been true. He didn't know if he could feel any worse. After all that Nathan had been through, all that he tried to do, everything… this was his end? He did this to save him and Rosalia. He saved Ichigo and he couldn't save him back. And now he would never get to see his child. And Rosalia… what about her? How could she be all alone now about to have a baby without the father? This just didn't seem fair. None of it was fair.

And they were right there! They were standing in the doorway. And Ichigo… He was standing right next to the machine. He let it get turned on. How could he be so stupid? This was all his fault!

_Damn it all… I couldn't do it. I can't save anyone, can I? This only happened because of me. What have I been doing all this time? Am I really that weak? If it weren't for me, Nathan would still be alive. I was careless! I was an idiot! I wasn't quick enough. It's all because of me! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!_

"Ichi… go…"

In the midst of his self-reprehension and despair, he heard a voice. It was soft and weak, but he heard it. He opened his eyes and looked down at Nathan hopefully.

"Ichi… go…" It was more like a breath than a voice. But it was Nathan's. Softer than a whisper, Nathan was calling out to him.

Ichigo moved closer, just to be sure that it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. He pressed an ear to Nathan's chest. He could hear his heartbeat. And he saw his chest moving up and down with weak, slow breaths. He was alive.

"Nathan?" His voice almost creaked, but he didn't care.

The blond man moved his lips, but his eyes weren't opening. "Ichigo?"

"Yeah… Yeah, Nathan, I'm here. I'm right here." He touched Nathan' s hand lightly, letting him know that he was there.

Nathan very slowly opened his eyes. His blue eyes fell on Ichigo. He blinked weakly. He truly looked like he had survived something horrendous. "Ichigo… why are you here?"

Ichigo took his hand off Nathan's to move a stray lock of his golden hair aside. "I came here for you, of course. I had to keep you from doing something stupid. I had to save you."

Nathan shut his eyes for a moment, taking in a long breath. "Ichigo… I'm sorry."

He lightly tapped Nathan's head with his knuckles, in a kind of punch. "Ah, don't be. You thought you were doing the right thing. Don't worry about it. You're alive, right?"

"Mm…"

"How are you feeling?"

Nathan tried to shift but was too weak to do so. "I'm not sure… I feel very weak and I'm in a bit of pain. But it seems to be fading. I suppose that's a good thing. And my strength is coming back slowly."

"That's good. Glad to hear it." Ichigo sat back with a deep sigh. So he wasn't too late after all. That was a load off his shoulders. His heart, too, for that matter. He felt so relieved, it was beyond words.

They sat there, letting everything sink in slowly. He was alive. He was safe. He was slowly getting his strength back. Everything was going to be fine now.

"Ichigo…"

"Yeah?"

"Where is Rosalia?"

Ichigo smiled. "She's safe. She's with Kira and Hisagi. They're taking care of her."

Nathan rested his head against the machine behind him. "Thank God…" He closed his eyes, taking in a long deep breath. Then he opened his eyes and looked down at his wrist. "Ah…"

"What? You hurt?"

Nathan held up his wrist, a charred band wrapped around his skin. The band was black and cracking off into smaller fragments.

"The bracelet given to me is destroyed. Must have been the machine."

The bracelet cracked off and fell to the floor like broken candy. It was useless to him now.

"Just be thankful that you're still alive," Ichigo told him.

Nathan smiled. "Yeah…" He turned his head towards Ichigo. "Thank you."

"You don't have to."

Ichigo's gaze shot to the hallway near the broken machine.

The air had changed.

Picking Nathan up in one fluid motion, Ichigo darted away as a giant blast perforated the ground and machine they stood by a second ago. Ichigo landed on the ground near the exit on one knee, Nathan under his arm.

"What happened?" Nathan panicked.

"Stay back, out of the way." Ichigo dropped Nathan off at the mouth of the tunnel, drawing his sword without hesitating.

A large mass shot through the sand cloud and stood on top of a broken table. His exoskeleton glinted like a seashell, covering nearly every inch of his long body. A long tail whipped the air, stirring up another cloud of sand and dust. His bright green eyes darted to Ichigo, slowly dilating and turning a menacing red.

It was Raposa's Resurreccion. Now he truly looked like a humanoid fox. He turned his whole body towards Ichigo and snarled.

Pushing Nathan into the tunnel's opening, he kicked off from where he stood, soaring inches off the ground towards Raposa.

Their attacks collided. Ichigo twisted back in midair to initiate a second strike. Raposa opened his mouth and fired off a round of ceros. Ichigo leapt and rolled out of their path. But the barrage continued, never letting up. Ichigo rolled to his feet and broke off in a run, the unrelenting stream of projectiles following his movements with the persistence of machine-gun fire. Pieces of the wall behind him began to chip away, threaten to give way on top if him. Ichigo ran up the side of a broken table and jumped, switching directions.

Raposa turned, following him with his body. Ichigo bore down on him from above, sword outstretched leading him into the attack. Raposa raised his hand to blocked. Ichigo's wrists vibrated from the painful impact. Ichigo pulled away just in time as Raposa swung his other arm up for a second attack. Ichigo skidded across the length of the lab, scrapping the tip of his sword along the ground to slow himself.

Once he came to a full stop, Raposa was standing there, waiting for him. His eyes slowly drifted toward Serpiente on the ground, propped up against the data tower.

"So… he was no match for you after all. You killed him?"

Ichigo held his sword tightly, not answering.

"No matter. I don't need him anymore. It's just as well."

The orange-haired teen shot him a death glare. "How could you say that? He was your comrade, wasn't he?"

"He was a tool, Kurosaki. Nothing more."

Ichigo growled. "I knew you were heartless, but… That's just low. Even for you." The image of Serpiente's dying face flashed across his mind. "He never even wanted to fight. He was forced into all of this. He was happy to die. He was smiling. He… thanked me."

"_Kurosaki… thank you…"_

Hearing that voice in his memory almost pierced his heart. He never thought that he would feel so conflicted about killing an Arrancar before. But Serpiente was different. He was about the laziest one he ever met and didn't want to fight. He had his heart shattered. Finding no other reason to live, he chose to go down fighting, like a true warrior.

"Why do you look so upset?" Raposa folded his arms across his chest, pensive. He seemed to be trying to read Ichigo. "He was your enemy, after all, wasn't he? Why do you care so much? Besides, you're the one who killed him."

Ichigo's eyebrows knitted together, firmer than usual. "I realize that. But still…"

Raposa sighed. "I'll never understand you, Kurosaki. Ever. Why you shed tears for your enemy. Why their meeting touched you so. And why…" He started laughing. "Oh, why would you go so far for a simple soul? Why you want to save him so desperately. What's he to you, anyway?"

He meant Nathan, of course.

"Because he's my friend."

"And the girl?"

"She is, too."

"And that's why they should live?" He laughed again. "Oh, you… So foolish. Is that your only reason for trying to save them both?"

"No." Ichigo looked at his reflection in his sword. He cocked it to the side, viewing Nathan's reflection as he knelt beside Rosalia in the tunnel, hugging her and checking her over for injuries. He watched him lay a hand on her stomach, relieved to feel the lively kicking from inside. And she couldn't stop holding him in her arms, burying her face in his shoulder. "It's because they belong together. They both deserve to live."

"That's your reason?" Raposa didn't sound all that impressed.

"Yes." Ichigo looked back at him. "No one deserves to take that away from them. No one deserves to die for your experiments. You have no right to end anyone's life to prolong yours."

"But why? They're just people. I don't see their value other than them being there to serve us. They're our tools, don't you see? That is their only purpose. Hollows feed off them and Arrancars use them for personal gain. That's life."

"You're wrong!"

"It's so simple, Kurosaki! Don't you see?" Raposa's tail fanned the air behind him, causing a small sandstorm to form at his back. "What I'm doing here is a blessing!"

"How the hell do you figure?"

"Very simple. I know who to target. I know which ones have the gene I seek now. Versus us going around killing needless amounts of souls for that gene, we only have to do it once. Isn't that better? His life for all theirs? It's a fair deal, if I do say so myself. So many more will live because of his sacrifice. It's so much better than everyone else having to die for no reason. At least his isn't empty. It'll be worthwhile."

"Yeah, to keep yourselves alive so you can kill all those souls anyway! Nathan and Rosalia don't deserve to die for that!"

What kind of logic was this? Was this Arrancar trying to justify his murder? Disgraceful! He had no right to live if this was what he hoped for in his future. So many lives were at stake. Why did anyone deserve to die for this? Least of all a pregnant woman and her clumsy husband.

He wasn't going to let them die for this maniac's sake. He wasn't going to let them die period. Not if he had anything to do about it.

"I just don't understand you, Kurosaki." He sighed heavily. "How is he any different from all the other souls out there? Why is his life so important? Why's it matter? I offered you a deal and you wouldn't take it. But it's so simple. You're over-thinking this. His life in place of countless others to save ourselves. Don't you see? His sacrifice will benefit not just ourselves, but everyone else as well. We know who to take rather than killing countless others out there. Isn't that better? You want to save him, but why? Why does his life matter? What is he? He's nothing compared to all that! How is he anymore important than anyone else out there? His life is insignificant. He's just another soul."

Ichigo bowed his head over his sword. "It's funny. Not a day goes by he doesn't ask himself the same question. Why does his life matter? What is his meaning? What sets him apart from anyone else? He's not extraordinary. He can't fight. He's not a genius. He's no doctor. He's a klutz. He was born into a poor family that never gave him a place. He was sold as a slave for a small sum of money and some apples to a cruel man who expected him to know automatically. His back is covered with scars and he still flinches. He was saved by a little girl and her father and allowed to live with them as her playmate and servant. He wasn't given any money, but a roof over his head. He's kindhearted and loving. He's braver than he thinks and he's gotten better over the years. He's still clumsy and nervous and he still makes mistakes. So you're right. He isn't very special. He's just another person, no better than anyone else."

Ichigo raised his eyes to the Arrancar standing in front of him.

"And that's exactly why I have to save him."

"Huh?" He was surprised by his answer.

"He's no different than anyone else. So why should he be the one to die? Why not someone else? Why are only extraordinary people worth saving? Why are those capable of fighting worth the effort? Why do you have to be special to be worth anything? Why not a guy like him? He's still worth something because there's someone out there who cares about him! And even if I didn't know him and even if we weren't friends, I would still help him because he matters to someone else! As long as I can do something about it, I will! I am not going to walk away! I am not going to turn my back on him! I will not give up! I can do something! I will protect him! I will save him and bring him home to the only family he has!"

As he stared forward into the Arrancar's eyes, he remembered the look in Nathan's the first time Rosalia had put her arms around him and told him that it was alright. He remembered the look in his eyes when Nathan told him that she was the only person who ever wanted him. He remembered the look in his eyes when he was defending Rosalia from a Hollowfied Rodger. He remembered the look in his eyes when he felt his unborn child in Rosalia's womb with his hands. He remembered everything that mattered.

"Even an average businessman comes home to a loving family. To his children, he is a hero. In the eyes of a child, their parent is a hero, no matter what they do. Whether they're a businessman or a firefighter or a homemaker, it doesn't matter to them. Because they love them no matter what they are. What matters is who they are."

From the depths of his gut, he felt a surge of violent emotion spread like a flame throughout his body.

"Maybe to you he's insignificant. But to me, he matters. To his family, he matters. He was brought up thinking that he was worthless because he wasn't perfect or extraordinary, but that doesn't make his life meaningless. He's important to someone! He's insignificantly important! His life is worth as much as the next person's! He's no better than me or one of the captains or any of my friends or anyone else in this world! And it's for that reason I won't let you have him!"

"So you claim!"

Raposa leapt forward, kicking Ichigo in the chest with both feet. He sprang back, whipped his body around like a spinning top and slapped Ichigo across the face with his tail, drawing blood. Ichigo stumbled, but didn't fall the way he was expected to. He held his sword tightly and swung back.

* * *

**Please review! ^^**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

Hitsugaya's ice pillar shattered. This Arrancar was too strong. He wasn't very fast, but he was strong. Too powerful to hold in ice. Something had to be done. Hitsugaya searched him over for a weak spot. His body was completely plated. Nothing could get past. If he got close for a direct attack, he'd risk skewering himself on all those sharp spikes and blades. But he was too heavily protected for an attack at a distance.

"What's wrong, boy?" Cercenar asked, his voice shaking with laughter. "Aren't you going to finish me off like you said? Ha ha! I knew a mere child wouldn't have to power needed to defeat me!"

Hitsugaya held his sword out. "Bankai!" Daiguren Hyorinmaru was unleashed and Hitsugaya got ready for a different attack. If he couldn't incase him in ice and defeat him that way, then his next bet was to incase him just long enough to attack him at just the right spot. But where? His whole body was covered. He had to figure that out and fast.

"You don't stand a chance! Go home and cry to your mama!" Cercenar snapped and launched himself into the air.

Hitsugaya leapt away before he landed where he stood seconds ago. He rolled in the air and flew higher, getting a good look at his enemy from above. There were no weak spots on his back anywhere. He was too heavily armored. He soared left avoiding another attack. Nothing on his sides, either. Where was his weakness?

"Give up already!" Cercenar shouted. "You'll never win! Our Hollow brethren have already taken down most of your men. You don't stand a chance!"

The captain gave a quick look around. He was right. There were too many Hollows around. Too many Gillians for them all to take on. More than half of his own squad alone had been injured within an inch of their lives. At this rate, there would be many more casualties. Even deaths. Rangiku alone was having trouble protecting her squad members from the overload of demonic monsters. And from the looks of things, none have them have been able to make it into the underground cave yet to aid the others.

This wasn't good.

"Get ready to die, kid!"

Hitsugaya did a back-flip in midair, avoiding the attack from below. But he couldn't escape his jaws. Cercenar bit down hard on Hitsugaya's right wing, nearly ripping it off. He shrank his body inward and wrapped his other leg around Cercenar's neck. The power behind the move was more than surprising for the Arrancar. Hitsugaya managed to send him toppling over backwards into the sand dune.

And at that moment, he saw it. His tender, unarmored underside. His belly was his weakness. But he also noticed something else. When he preformed that move just now, he wasn't injured. His neck was also unprotected. With that information in hand. He could get to work.

Cercenar rolled to his feet and unleashed a cero from his mouth. Hitsugaya rolled in the air to avoid it. He flew across the sand and behind another dune. But he wasn't hiding. He was waiting. As soon as Cercenar was in striking distance, Hitsugaya unleashed an attack of his own. "Sennen Hyoro!"

Ice pillars flew up from the ground, threatening to encase him in ice once more. Cercenar stepped aside as if it were nothing.

Hitsugaya performed the attack again, this time missing him by a great distance. A third attack sailed past him and across the sand.

"This is sad, boy! Pitiful! Your aim is way off!"

"Who said I was aiming at you?"

Cercenar turned his head. "What?"

The ice pillars were surrounding the Hollows and Gillians, separating them from the Soul Reapers. Helpless, the ice prisons one by one began to seal them away. The ones that were left were at the mercy of the remaining Soul Reapers. Tasting victory, they charged in, chopping away at the Hollows, taking them all down together.

"You..!" By the time he looked back, Hitsugaya was already gone. Cercenar searched the ground for any signs of him.

"Down here."

At his feet stood the young captain. "You have a death wish, kid?" He stomped the ground where he stood, but Hitsugaya had flashed away. He stood on his left side. As he swung his plated arms, Hitsugaya quickly flashed to the right, tripping him up.

As he fell, exposing his underside, Hitsugaya raised his sword. "Hyoryu Senbi!"

The ice whipped out like a dragon tail, slicing into his stomach. The sharp tips of ice ripped open his belly, fresh blood flowing forth.

Cercenar rolled back onto his feet. "Damn it..! I'll show you!" He fired off another cero, blasting a hole in the sand. He sent off another dozen in all directions. But where was the captain? All his attack did was stir up a thick cloud of sand, giving him zero visibility. He searched and searched until at last he found a silhouette standing in the cloud. "There!"

He fired off another powerful cero. But when it hit, instead of hearing flesh being burnt and torn apart, he heard a loud cracking noise similar to shattering glass. What stood in the middle of the sand when the cloud vile cleared was an icy statue of the captain's outline. A fake.

"He used a dummy?"

"What was that you were saying about being so small?" The voice was coming from under his massive body. Once Cercenar had realized that the shadow was just a decoy, Hitsugaya had swooped in from behind and under the Arrancar's body. Being so small gave him an advantage in this. He was able to pass under him safely while keeping out of sight. Hitsugaya stuck his sword straight out in front of him, gliding on his back. The tip of his sword plunged into Cercenar's unprotected stomach, drawing a long red line all the way up to his chest.

As Hitsugaya corrected himself upon his ascension back into the sky and out from under the Arrancar, a bladed hand reached out and grabbed him around the middle. If it weren't for his ice wings, the captain would have been sliced in half by the sharp razors. The same couldn't be said for his legs, though. They were sliced so much, his skin looked like tattered cloth. He fought back the urge to cry out in pain. The hot pain and blood felt like warm syrup running down his legs, staining the sand.

Thinking he had just won, Cercenar started to boast. "See? I told you, you little runt! You can't possibly defeat me! I'm bigger, tougher and stronger than you! You're facing an Arrancar, kid! The toughest of the tough! And very soon, our power will increase. Raposa's promised us a way to remain alive and in our Arrancar forms forever. All we need to complete the processes is the girl. By this time, that boy is already long dead. There's no way he could have survived. Don't you see? We're invincible now! We're one step shy from immortality!"

Hitsugaya twisted around in his grip. "You want to know what I think?"

"Huh?

He shot him a death glare. "I think that you're compensating for your lack of skill by going on and on about something that's never going to happen. You may be strong, but face it. In a battle, a real battle, you'll never win. You lack too much."

Cercenar growled then started to laugh. "Big talk from such a little squirt. The only reason you're talking right now is because you know you're going to die, kid."

Hitsugaya waited until he heard the familiar cracking of ice freezing over. Cercenar's white body was turning blue. Hitsugaya smiled. "You found it hard to believe that I was a captain before, right? Well, let me tell you something. I am the youngest captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but only because I have the skill and the power needed to achieve that position. And I'm also a prodigy. I can think, I can plan and I can wait."

Cercenar looked down without moving his head and saw ice from his underside creeping up over his armored body, slowly freezing him over. Why couldn't he break out of it this time? Because he couldn't move.

"You didn't think that stab from my Zanpakuto was my only attack, did you?"

Ice from the earlier attack on his underside was starting to creep into his body through the open wound made by the sword's point. Ripping him open was only the first step to the captain's plan. The ice from his Zanpakuto's ability was now able to seep inside Cercenar's body, freezing him from the inside out.

"You're finished, Arrancar. Never underestimate a captain of the Thirteen Courts."

Cercenar's body froze over, holding him in place like a living statue. Summoning all his strength, Hitsugaya freed himself from the Arrancar's frozen grasp and flew high over his head, delivering his final attack. "Sennen Hyoro!"

The ice pillars finished him off as they cracked and shattered with Cercenar still inside, killing him instantly. Now it was over.

Hitsugaya landed on the ground, his bankai vanishing as he did. The moment his legs touched the sand, a shooting pain swept him up and sent him down groaning in agony. He need to be treated for these injuries right away. Both of his legs were useless now. He couldn't even walk.

"Captain!"

He looked up at the voice of his lieutenant. "What is it?" He thought, of course, that she was referring to his injuries. But instead, she was pointing at something in the sand.

"Look! It's the captain of Squad 2!"

"What?" He tried to stand up, but couldn't and ended up crawling over instead.

Laying face down in the sand was Soi Fon. She was heavily injured, her skin charred and sliced up. She was in bad shape. Hitsugaya took note of the Shiki on her finger. She had been fighting alright. But this time, it just wasn't enough. Whoever she had fought was extremely powerful.

"It looks almost like she was propelled out of the sand. Look." Rangiku pointed to a slight dip in the sand. "It looks like she came from there."

He nodded. "I agree."

"What should we do, sir?"

He knew what she meant. Get Soi Fon to get treated themselves or to hand her off to someone else and go down below the sand themselves and find whoever was responsible for this. But Hitsugaya was in no condition for another round and judging from the injuries on Rangiku, neither was she.

"We have to leave this to Ichigo and the others who have already gone down below the surface. We have to get the captain to get fixed up."

Rangiku noticed his bleeding legs. "Captain! We need to get you over to Squad 4 as well. Those wounds look horrible!"

It was true, and the blood loss was making him dizzy and lightheaded. He agreed and ordered help. While Soi Fon was carried off by another squad member, Rangiku piggybacked Hitsugaya over to the nearest safe spot they could get to. Word of a relief team already being dispatched meant that they wouldn't have to wait too long for treatment.

All they could do now was pray that Ichigo and the others were luckier than they were on the surface.

X

Raposa smashed Ichigo against the wall. "It's so simple, Kurosaki!" He whipped him with his tail. "Just leave us the boy!" He whipped him again. "It's just one life!"

Ichigo grabbed hold of his tail the third time around and pulled Raposa off balance. "Like hell! If I did that, I'd never be able to forgive myself! You have no right to kill innocent people just to make yourself stronger! They've done nothing to you!"

"Ah, but they can do something for me!" Raposa fired off a cero. Ichigo bent over backwards to avoid it, watching it sail past his head by an inch. He flipped back up, swinging his sword wildly.

Watching it all go down fom the tunnel, Nathan felt the urge to take action. Ichigo kept helping him. Fighting for him and his wife. It was only fair that he did the same for Ichigo in return. He watched Ichigo get pounded into the wall and then driven into the floor. There was no way Ichigo could win this fight alone.

But what could he do? Same old pathetic Nathan. Even now he couldn't do a damn thing. Just a weak nobody. Even so, it was in his nature to want to help people. Even if he couldn't do anything, he had always made it a habit to try.

He turned back to Rosalia. "I have to help him."

"No!" Rosalia held him back. "You can't! You're still recovering. I'm not going to let you do this again! I won't lose you!"

Flattered that he meant so much to her, Nathan almost felt like staying. But nonetheless… "I'm sorry. But I have to help Ichigo. He needs help. Perhaps if I find a piece of broken glass, I could…"

"Nathan, stay here with me! Please!"

Like a well-trained dog, Nathan hesitated at his master's request. Another thing about Nathan being a servant was the fact that it was very difficult for him to disobey a direct order from his mistress. What made it harder for him was the fact that he was also in love with her and would do anything for her. For a moment, he started to sit back down. But when he heard Ichigo yell out in pain, his decision was made.

He looked back, gave Rosalia a kiss and said, "I'm sorry." With that, he ran off towards the action.

"Nathan! No! Don't!" Rosalia got up and started after him.

Still healing Hisagi's injuries, Kira looked up. "No, wait! Stop! Both of you get back here now!"

Raposa's next attack grazed across the wall above the cave door. His stray cero loosened the rock and sand from above the tunnel's mouth, causing an avalanche. Nathan looked back in time to see the wall fall above Rosalia's head and managed to pull her away to safety just in time. But now they had another problem. All the rubble that had fallen was now blocking their only means of escape. And now the two souls were separated from the two Soul Reapers trapped on the other side.

"That can't be good…"

Raposa turned around and saw the two standing beside the caved-in tunnel. "You!" He launched himself into the air and down upon the two below. Nathan shielded Rosalia by curling his body around hers, but that wasn't necessary. Ichigo had swooped down and slammed Raposa back into the opposite wall.

"Run!" Ichigo screamed back at them.

It was Ichigo's tone, not his words that compelled Nathan to move. He took his wife by the hand and led her down another passageway, towards the storage room.

Raposa turned back to Ichigo after giving the two a dangerous look. "No matter. It's a dead end back there. They have nowhere to run. Once I finish with you, I'll have two of them all to myself."

"There's no way I'm letting you do that!" Ichigo shoved him back. "It's like you said, Raposa… You'll have to finished with me first!"

Raposa obliged, slamming Ichigo full-force into the ground. From there, he slashed away at his upper body. Ichigo was helpless under Raposa's stronger body. And his sword was too thin now to be used as a shield. He managed to protect his neck and face as much as possible, but the same couldn't be said for his body. Still worn out from his earlier battle against Serpiente and all the events from that day, Ichigo had very little energy left to force Raposa back.

"Die!" Raposa pointed his claws into a dagger and plunged it deep into Ichigo's chest and twisted it back out.

He couldn't breathe. His air was gone. All of it.

Raposa picked Ichigo up by his hair and threw him into the next wall where he slumped down and ceased to move. He waited for Ichigo to make a move, but he never did. Satisfied, he turned his nose up and away. "Hmph. That'll teach you."

He moved towards the storage room in the back.

X

Nathan and Rosalia ran to the very back of the cave only to run straight into a dead end. There was no way out. This back room only had one door and they just ran through it to get here. Nathan let go of his wife's hand to move some large boxes and chairs aside, trying to find a secret door. There was no way out. They were trapped.

"Perhaps a different way..?" Rosalia suggested.

Nathan piled up boxes into a makeshift staircase. "But the Arrancar's back that way. Maybe if we were to tunnel our way out through the ceiling."

"But the sand will bury us!"

Nathan stopped stacking. He hadn't thought of that. But now what? He looked around the back room. There was a lot of space back here, but no windows or doors. There was only one way out and it was back the way they came. "I suppose it is our best bet."

As he moved down towards his wife, they heard a voice calling from down the passageway. "You can't hide from me! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Raposa!" Nathan grabbed Rosalia's hand and pulled her behind one of the crates. "Quickly, hide!"

They glued themselves to the back of the wooden crate and held their breath. They heard Raposa enter and move around the room, not caring how much noise he made. He flipped over a box which shattered on impact with the ground.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. Yet. I need you alive for a few more minutes. Just enough time for me to take it all in."

Rosalia gave Nathan a worried look. He held her hand tightly.

A shadow cast over their heads and they looked up to find Raposa towering over them, standing on the crate. "There you are!"

"Run!" Nathan grabbed Rosalia and took off towards the other side of the room. Raposa chased after them. Rosalia couldn't run very fast with a baby in her. Just before Raposa caught up to them, Nathan picked her up in his arms and jumped. They landed on the tower of boxes Nathan had stacked, watching Raposa sail past them.

Rosalia looked up at Nathan surprised. Since when had he gotten so strong? It must have been his adrenaline pumping. He set her down and shielded her with his body.

The Arrancar rose up, smiling at Nathan. "It's so simple. Just give yourself up. You were so willing before. It made things go by so much easier. What happened to that?"

Nathan didn't answer.

"Come on." Raposa jumped onto another crate to be at eye level with Nathan. "It's so easy. You should be proud. Of all souls out there, yours is the most prosperous."

"And that's why I need to die?"

"You should be happy. Out of all the other meaningless lives, your actually holds meaning."

"So everyone else is worthless?"

"Precisely." Raposa jumped onto another box, forcing Nathan to turn his body in order to keep his wife hidden. "With your death, I can become more powerful than ever. Even immortal. Only you have the gene that allows that. You and that girl. That is your only worth."

"Not true!"

"It is! Think about it. Life is meaningless. All you do all day only is live. Just walk around doing nothing. It's insignificant. Pointless! Don't you see? With your sacrifice, you'll be the most worthy one out there. You'll actually be doing some good. That's how it is."

"Then why do you cling to life so bad? Answer me that! If life is so meaningless, then why do you want it so bad?"

Raposa scoffed. "It's different for me. I know my purpose. I know my nature. You live a peaceful life and do nothing. At least with me, I can gain power and use it. What would you do? Sit there and that's it."

"But even if you did get the gene from me, there's no way of knowing that it will do the thing you want it to do."

He lowered himself to the crate as if preparing to spring to another. "That's what experimentation is all about. You never know. No one ever does. That's the whole point of an experiment. To figure out if it's true or not. To see what you can do. But mostly to see if you can. To discover something new. If devouring you doesn't work, then I have a backup. And if she doesn't work either, then at least I'll know."

"But if you don't know for sure…"

Raposa jumped to a box overhead, towering over the two below. "You don't understand our nature. You don't know what it's like to be Hollow. And to know what it's like to be in power and have it taken away and never gain it again. If we lose even a small portion of our bodies to another Hollow, we can never evolve again. I was an Espada. I was all powerful. Aizen made me into an Arrancar, promising me that as long as I was there with him, all this power was mine to keep. He made me what I am, so he can take it away. Now that I am no longer serving, there is reason to worry. I want to stay this way forever."

"But if you're no longer an Espada, doesn't that mean that you weren't strong enough in the first place?"

Raposa jumped onto the same box as them, breaking it on impact. The trio fell to the ground and Nathan backed away from the Arrancar with his wife in hand. "Fool! That jar-head is not anymore powerful than I am! He was just an experiment! That's all! I have more power than him. And with my Resurreccion, I am far more powerful than I have ever been! I'm faster, stronger, I can withstand more. My power has increased tenfold! But Aizen could never see that!"

"But then…" Nathan was cut off by Raposa's rant.

"I was only stripped of my title, but I still hold power! The only reason I fled was because there's no reason to have two nines. I knew my fate even then. But with you, I can return and slaughter them all if I wish. With that gene in me… there's no telling what kind of power I can unleash!"

"That's just it. There is no telling. You could be wrong and end up killing us over nothing!"

Raposa reached out for Nathan. "At least then, I'll know."

Nathan pushed Rosalia away and ran with her behind another crate.

"Stop running! It's pointless!"

They hid themselves behind another crate, forcing Raposa to start looking for them. He flipped over one box and then another. When he reached the third one, a fistful of sand hit him in the face. He retreated only to run into another attack. Holding a board of broken wood like a bat, Rosalia started beating Raposa in the head with it. She kept hitting him until Nathan grabbed her and started to run towards the exit. Maybe they didn't have powers, but they could fight the only way they knew how.

As soon as they reached the door, Raposa was in their faces once more. "That was pathetic! You really think that was going to be enough to stop me?"

The two backed away, Nathan protecting Rosalia with his body. "Where is Ichigo?" she questioned.

"He's dead," Raposa answered. "I killed him, so stop waiting on him to save you. He's not coming."

"I don't believe you!" Nathan screamed.

"Believe it, boy." Raposa reached out for Nathan's throat.

Rosalia pulled him away. They retreated one step at a time towards the back wall. Nathan kept looking around for something he could use for a weapon, but the wood Rosalia had used was now broken in half and on the ground in pieces. Rosalia clung to her husband with both hands, close to tears. He had to protect her. But simply giving himself up wasn't going to work anymore. Not when he knew that Raposa was planning on killing both of them.

"Stop resisting. You deaths will being about something good. Take pride in that."

"No!" Rosalia screamed at him. "Why should we have to die for you? You're only going to keep killing people! There's no way I'm going to let you kill me or Nathan! Even if I have to fight you myself!"

Raposa started laughing. "You? Now I know you're desperate! You can't do anything!"

His fingertips scraped against Nathan's chest. He shut his eyes, clinging to his wife.

"Get away from them!"

Everyone looked up. Ichigo was standing in the doorway, using his sword as a crutch, covered in blood.

Raposa's hand dropped. "So you're still alive?"

"I told you before. You have to finish with me first to get to them!"

For a while, no one spoke. Then Raposa smirked. "As you wish." He turned his whole body towards Ichigo.

Ichigo raised his sword. "Nathan, take Rosalia and get out of here."

"Not so fast, Kurosaki," Raposa interrupted. "I said that I'd finish with you. I never said that they could leave this room. As a matter of fact… I won't let them!" Raposa turned and made a move towards Nathan's legs, trying to break them.

Ichigo got there first and shoved Nathan aside along with Rosalia. "You don't touch them until we're done!"

Raposa rose himself up, making himself larger than Ichigo. "You have no right to order me around. But if that's the case, I'll finish you off quick!" He lunged forward and bit the end of Ichigo's sword, trying to rip it from his hands.

Ichigo held on and went for a ride. Flipping the sword over in his teeth, Raposa slammed him into the ground. From there, he started to slash at his face.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The blast hit Raposa in the face and sent him flying backwards. Nathan ran with Rosalia out of the way, trying to make a run for the door. They never managed to get there. The fight going on around them was too close. Every time they tried, something would come flying their way. So they took to hiding instead.

Raposa unleashed a powerful cero at Ichigo, missing him by the hairs on his head. Ichigo ran across the side wall towards Raposa, trying to get him from behind. He zigzagged down towards the ground and took a running leap at the Arrancar. "Getsuga-"

"Too slow!" Raposa fired off a round of ceros, one catching Ichigo in the leg, knocking him off balance in the air. The next one hit him in his arm. The last one hit his left hip. He fell to the ground where Raposa proceeded to step on his head, mushing him into the sand.

Ichigo took his sword and slashed at Raposa's ankles, his sword barely making a scratch against his armor.

"I told you!" He picked Ichigo up and threw him across the room. "I'm all powerful!"

Ichigo hit the wall with a bang and fell to the floor. Despite the extreme pain, Ichigo stood up. "Really? All powerful? Heh… Do you know how pretentious you sound?"

"What was that?" Raposa was outraged.

"You heard me. If you were really all that powerful, you wouldn't have to say it. Your actions would speak for themselves."

"Then hear this!" Raposa rolled up into himself and barreled toward Ichigo with incredible speed.

Ichigo cart-wheeled away, but Raposa turned just as fast and slammed into him from behind. The impact sent Ichigo into the air. From there, Raposa unrolled himself and jumped straight up, turning his body into a missile.

As he came up on Ichigo's right, he slashed at him with his sharp claws. He bounced off a wall and came back at Ichigo before he hit the ground. With the speed of a bullet, Raposa slashed him on his right side, the attack forceful enough to keep him in the air. He jumped off another wall and did the same again to his back. Then again with his front. Then right again. And left.

Ichigo's body twisted and turned with the savage attack. Raposa was moving too fast for him to react. He was just a white and red blur. After being slashed countless times, Raposa shot straight up for the final blow. Shooting off the wall like a rocket, Raposa turned his hands into twin drills, spinning and slicing away at Ichigo's stomach as he plowed into him with all his might. Ichigo plummeted into the ground with all the force and sound of an artillery shell.

Raposa emerged, standing over Ichigo's body. At the first sign of movement, he slashed at Ichigo's face. When he moved again, he slashed his chest. When Ichigo opened his eyes and tried to stand up, Raposa sat on his stomach and started beating him with his fists.

"Understand this, Kurosaki!" He punched him with every word. "I… Want… To… Live!"

Ichigo not only tasted blood, but he saw it as well. This attack was too savage to be called a duel. It was torture. Even his skull felt like it was ready to break apart at the attack. One powerful blow after another, Ichigo's body was slowly starting to give out. It was too much to have to deal with all at once. Raposa didn't just want him dead, he wanted him to suffer.

"This is my last chance! To have power! To have hope! To have everything! And I won't… let… you… take... it… away… from… me! Those two are mine! Do you hear me? MINE!"

The next blow would have killed any normal human being. It rattled Ichigo's inside and left him barely conscious. He had lost all feeling in his limbs and could no longer hold onto his sword.

Raposa lifted him up with one hand and started choking him while watching the light slowly leave Ichigo's brown eyes.

"There is nothing you can do for them. Just let it be."

"…N- no… You're wrong…" Ichigo gasped for air. He could barely speak. He couldn't move any part of his body, but he could at least speak for a few short seconds. "… I… can… do something… I'm not… rolling over… just yet… They're not… going to die here… Not by you… Not if I can help it."

Raposa increased the pressure over Ichigo's throat, cutting off his last bit of air. "What use are you to them dead?"

Nathan watched helplessly from behind the crates. How could he just let Ichigo suffer like this? There were too many fights going on today. Too much for him to handle with no rest. And Raposa was so powerful. There was no way Ichigo could win without dying in the process. He still hadn't recovered from the voodoo spell that he was under or the surgery he had to undergo in order to remove it.

What could he do to help Ichigo? What could he do, the one person who always needed saving? He didn't fight, so what could he do to help him now? He didn't even have the bracelet that allowed him his powers back. Now what?

Nathan hid his face behind his arms and prayed. In his moment of self-hate and pity, he bit his own arm where the bracelet had been. If only he had it back he could…

He stared at his arm. Faint blue wisps of Spirit Energy were leaking from where he had bitten himself. Wait a minute. Nathan brought his face closer and inhaled. He absorbed his own Spirit Energy. But he could never do that before. Not without…

… the bracelet.

Was it possible that he still had its power? But how?

Who cared? Knowing this, he had found a way to help Ichigo.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

Raposa's smile spread watching as Ichigo's eyes slowly started to fade away. He was going to win.

Just then, Nathan came running out from behind the crate he was hiding behind and clamped onto Raposa's back.

"Wh- what the hell are you doing?" Raposa dropped Ichigo in order to get the other man off of him. But Nathan was stuck on like glue. "Get off me!"

Ichigo had too little energy to move, but he did managed to see what was going on and had enough energy left to yell back. "N- Nathan! What are you doing? Get away from him!"

"No!" Nathan held on tight, pulling Raposa's head away. "I know what I'm doing! Trust me!"

"But you can't-!"

"Trust me!" Nathan lowered his head and bit Raposa'a shoulder.

He screeched and bucked up and down trying to shake him off. "Get off of me! Off, now! Off!"

Nathan sucked out something that looked oddly familiar from the wound left in Raposa's shoulder. Spirit Energy. He was draining it from the Arrancar's body. But rather than making him stronger, it looked like it was causing Nathan extreme pain. After sucking out quite a bit from Raposa, Nathan allowed himself to be thrown off. He slid across the floor, choking on the Spirit Energy he stole from Raposa.

"Nathan!" Ichigo managed to sit up, but the room was spinning on him. He couldn't stand up. "Are you ok? Nathan?"

Nathan rolled onto his front, coughing and gagging on something in his mouth. He vomited up the Spirit Energy where it lingered for a moment before disappearing. Ichigo crawled over to him on his hands and knees, half blind, trying to aid him in anyway he could.

"Nathan?"

He looked up, shaking. "H- his Spirit Energy… I couldn't absorb it… It's too… It's too dark."

That made sense. If before he needed Spirit Energy to live, he had to absorb it from something pure, not a Hollow's energy. And Raposa was an Arrancar. It must have been very difficult for Nathan to absorb something like that.

Ichigo rested his head his own shoulder. "How did you do that if your powers..?"

"I guess the bracelet still has something to offer me for now."

Ichigo lowered his voice, trying to save as much energy as he could. "Why would you do something like that?"

Nathan didn't hesitate to answer. "Because he wants me alive for a little longer. I knew he wouldn't hurt me just yet."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I also wanted to help you."

Ichigo was silent.

"I'm sorry."

Nathan's voice sounded sincere. Having Nathan say such a thing now reminded him why he needed to win. Nathan needed to live. He needed to see his baby. He needed to stay with his wife. He couldn't die in a place like this for no good reason. Ichigo needed to keep fighting and win. Just for that.

"Nathan. Thanks."

"I'm still here, you freaks!" Raposa snarled, holding his shoulder with one hand. He was panting and out of breath, obviously suffering from having his energy drained. "So that's your true power, is it? Now that I've witnessed it for myself, I can tell that I'm going to be even more powerful than ever."

"Would you get off that already?" Ichigo snapped. "I'm so tired of hearing you say that all the time!"

"It doesn't make it any less true. We're talking about the greater good here. With his life, I can continue living. A life for a life. It's so simple! Just give him to me and this will all be over!"

Ichigo struggled onto one foot. "Look, I know why you want him. But I told you already that I won't allow it. I gave you my reasons. Now go to hell!"

Raposa snickered. "I've already been through hell. Now I'm sending you there!" He opened his mouth wide to unleash another cero. Ichigo couldn't move in time. This one would end him for sure.

Just then, Nathan ran forward and shoved something into Raposa's open mouth. A sloppily crafted ceramic flower.

"Yuzu's…" Ichigo breathed.

Nathan grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him away. "Come on!"

Unable to open his mouth all the way and having something abstracting his cero's only escape route, Raposa's attack went off in his mouth. The cero blasted apart the ceramic flower, causing small pieces to fall back down his throat, choking him for a moment. The cero itself also severely burned his tongue. Raposa screamed and doubled over in pain, holding his jaw and coughing.

Nathan and Ichigo sat beside another wall, thinking about what their next move should be. They needed to end this here and now, otherwise Raposa would be after them again. He was the last one they needed to defeat.

Ichigo struggled to his feet, holding his sword in his hand. He wrapped a piece of cloth around his hand to keep his weapon close at all times. He wasn't going to drop this again.

"Nathan."

"Yeah?"

"I hate to admit it… but…" Ichigo wiped the blood from his face. "I can't do this without help."

"There's no shame in that." Of course Nathan would say that. He knew more about it than anyone.

But there was something bigger here. Ichigo was a man of pride. He didn't like the idea of his enemy weakening himself or being weakened by someone else so that he could win the fight. But this was even bigger than that. Nathan was the one who weakened him slightly. This was his fight as well as Ichigo's. It was his life on the line. His family at stake. His wife in danger. His wife who was taken. His duty to protect them and save them from this monster. And Nathan was the one Raposa wanted. This wasn't just Ichigo's fight now. It was theirs. And he understood that.

"Nathan… help me take him down."

"What?" Nathan looked very shaken from hearing that from Ichigo.

"I mean it. I can't do it alone. Besides, it's you and your family he's after."

Nathan nodded.

"Are you willing to protect them? Will you do it with your two hands?"

He was more ready than anything. This was his chance. "Yes!"

"Good." Ichigo took his stance. "Then get ready. And be careful."

"You, too, Ichigo."

Raposa recovered and turned around to find the two standing right behind him, taking a battle stance. "You have no idea what you're doing. Just stand down."

"Go!"

Ichigo and Nathan took off in different directions towards Raposa. Naturally, Raposa kept his eyes on Ichigo since he had the weapon. But it was Nathan he needed to watch out for. He jumped on him from behind and bit into his shoulder again. This time, he drew a massive amount of Spirit Energy from him. Raposa tossed him aside.

Nathan tried to keep it down, but couldn't. Rather than puking it up like last time, he tried something different. He reached into his mouth and physically took it out. With his hands, he crafted the red demonic Spirit Energy into a long rod. No, it was a sword. Nathan held the spire-like weapon like a sword and got ready.

Raposa was weakened, but he was still very strong. They needed to be careful.

As he turned to grab Nathan, Ichigo swooped in and stabbed Raposa in the arm with his sword. When he turned to swing back, Nathan jabbed him in the gut with his own weapon. Raposa swung at Nathan, but Ichigo grabbed him from behind and tossed him up into the air over Raposa's head. He landed behind the Arrancar and sliced into his back. Ichigo ran at Raposa and sliced his left rib. Nathan ran along his other side and cut into Raposa's right rib.

"I said to give it up!" Raposa unleashed a cero at them.

Ichigo grabbed Nathan's arm and pulled him out of the way. When another cero came, it was Nathan's turn to save Ichigo. He bent down, flipping Ichigo over his back. Ichigo rolled over Nathan and landed on his feet, cero passing by off to the side.

"Now!"

Nathan rushed at Raposa. Thinking it was just going to be a forward attack, Raposa braced himself. But at the last moment, Nathan bent down, allowing Ichigo to use his back as a springboard and jumped high over his head. Before he could land the attack, Raposa reached up and backhanded Ichigo across the room. Ichigo sailed through two crates before slamming into a wall. From there, he kicked Nathan into a large metal crate which caved in around his body like tinfoil.

"What part of 'it's hopeless' do you not understand?" Raposa reached out to pick Nathan up.

Something hard hit him in the back of his head. "Get away from him, you freak!" Rosalia was pounding the Arrancar with a metal pipe she found laying on the ground nearby. As he tried to take a swing at her, Nathan kicked him in the face and sprang off the dented crate.

"Rosalia, run and hide!" He couldn't risk her or the baby getting hurt. He charged in with his weapon.

Raposa raised his hand, about to bring it down on Nathan's skull. "You just don't get it!"

"No, _you _don't!" Ichigo jumped on his back, jerking his head away with his bare hands. "We're just as adamant as you are! I'm not gonna let you kill either one of them!"

Raposa threw Ichigo off his body and into a wooden chair, breaking it at once. "Try and stop me!"

Nathan stabbed him with his weapon and ran off as the Arrancar tried to hit him.

"Coward! Don't run away in a fight!"

"Who says he's running?" Ichigo stabbed him in the gut with his sword. "He was just getting out of my way."

He reached out and linked arms with Nathan. Swinging around like a top, Ichigo switched places with Nathan. After Nathan stabbed Raposa, they would switch and Ichigo would do the same. Again and again, they cut into his strong armored body.

Raposa's white body was slowly turning red with blood. Fed up and just plain pissed off, he fired off a round of ceros across the room. Ichigo and Nathan split up, running in different directions for cover.

When the dust settled, Raposa found Nathan laying on the ground by his feet. Certain that he was injured from the fray, Raposa imprudently bent down to lift him up. Upon doing so, Nathan's body sprang to life, rolling over and throwing a massive handful of sand into his wide-open eyes.

He jerked back, holding his face in pain. "Gah! Ah, that was a pathetic and cheap shot!"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

As Raposa staggered around, trying to un-blind himself, Ichigo and Nathan got ready for their final attack. Running around in a complete circle around Raposa, Ichigo and Nathan locked hands. Holding on tight to Nathan's wrist, Ichigo lifted him up into the air. He circled once around the ceiling, testing out their plan. They were almost in position. Nathan dangled from Ichigo's hand as he carried him higher and higher into the air. But it wasn't high enough.

"Higher."

Ichigo took him up higher.

"Higher, Ichigo!"

The wind beat against his cheeks as he was carried up higher. Ichigo flew up even higher, his head scraping the ceiling.

Getting the last bit of sand out of his eyes, Raposa looked around. Where were they? He raised himself up, trying to get a good look around.

That was it. He was lined up perfectly.

Nathan let go.

The sound of the wind roared in his ears as he hurtled down toward the ground. Raposa looked straight up, the tip of Nathan's weapon coming up fast. The blade of his sword slipped past his collar bone and deep into his spinal column. Acting as a brace, Raposa could no longer move his body. He was stuck in place. Leaving his weapon in him, Nathan jumped off his body, rolling across the ground and out of the way as Ichigo came spiraling down.

Landing gracefully link a ballerina, Ichigo took his sword in both hands. Standing less than a foot away from Raposa he swung downward across his chest, a fresh spray of blood soaking his front.

Silence fell.

Blood poured out of Raposa like a fountain. The long rod-like weapon still sticking out of his shoulder, he struggled to speak. Clearly the weapon had pierced through his lungs.

"W… why can't… you see..?" he choked. "Why can't you understand?"

Ichigo stood there and listened to him without speaking or moving, watching the blood flow from his wounds.

"The will to live… the lust for power… Why can't I be allowed to have that? It's just one life… to save mine… His existence is meaningless otherwise. His only purpose is to serve me so I can get what I want. They… They're all just tools to be used…"

Ichigo took in a breath. "You know… you keep saying the same damn thing over and over. My answer's not going to change. They have the right to live. They both have purpose and meaning. And it's not as tools."

With a raspy breath, Raposa shakily turned his head, trying to get a better view of Ichigo. "But… Serpiente was right about you… You're part Hollow." He took in another raspy breath. "We're kindred spirits, you and I. So why can't you understand why I need this? Why I need to keep going? Why I'm so desperate to obtain this?"

Ichigo took a long hard look at himself before answering him. And yet, the words came so naturally to him.

"You know what? It's true that I do have a Hollow living inside of me. But… but even so, I'm not like you. That doesn't make me like you at all. It's true that he is a part of me, but that isn't who I am. He isn't me, he isn't who I am. But if I were to ever take a page from your book and sacrifice someone else for personal gain or power… then I would be the same as you. And I'm not like that. And I never will be."

He thought of his friends and family. All the people he wanted to protect. All their faces. And his mother. She managed to protect him without becoming anything greater than she already was. It cost her her life, but she remained intact. Never changing who she was to save her son. She wasn't anything extraordinary, but she was special.

"I'll protect them my way. As I am. Who I am. I'll never change my values. I'm not becoming someone I'm not in order to gain power, even if it is to protect them. To ever kill someone else and take them away from their family in order to become stronger and immortal, would be going against everything I believe in. I will never become like that. I will never be like you."

Raposa's eye were the same color as his blood. "So I'm allowed to die? I'm not allowed to live, is that it?"

"I never said that. But…" Ichigo shut his eyes for a moment, breathing in deeply. He opened them again. "But if you're willing to kill other people for personal gain… if you're not getting power to protect someone… then I have to say that…"

"That what? I have to die?"

Ichigo raised his head up, his expression looking as if it were chiseled out of ice. "That you have no right to go on living. For everything you've done. You don't even stand for anything other than greed. You don't even care about your own comrades. No remorse whatsoever. For any of them. You never even listened to anything they had to say, did you? Serpiente never even wanted to be here. This was forced on him."

"So what? He was a tool, too. I only needed him because he could do the work and decipher the data. You're right, Kurosaki. I don't care about anyone but myself. Those two, everyone.. All just tools to be used for my own gain. For my own wants." Raposa smirked at Ichigo. "And you know what? Even if you don't finish me off here, because it's not in your nature, I'll keep coming after them until I succeed. Because that's in my nature. Everything, whether or not they deserve it, struggle to survive. To live."

His eyes darted to where Nathan stood off to the side.

"And he is the last hope I have for that. It's nature, Kurosaki."

The rod sticking out of his back had lingered to its last and faded away, freeing Raposa. He looked at Ichigo standing right in front of him, battered and bloody. He was so close. He was the only thing standing in his way, keeping him from what he really wanted.

"I… want to LIVE!"

Throwing himself at Ichigo in one final attack, Raposa's hand reached for Ichigo's neck, ready to snap it in two. It was more like a charge in desperation than it was at victory.

He was too close to move to the side. His body too slow to make a move backward. He couldn't react in time. So Nathan did that for him. He felt Nathan's hand on his sword, holding it up for him. Finding the strength in his arm, Ichigo gripped it with his other hand as well. And together, they ran forward, plunging the tip of the blade into Raposa's chest, right where his heart should have been.

He wrenched the sword back out with Nathan's help. Telling him to let go, Ichigo summoned up all his remaining strength into one final attack.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The black and red blast was sent straight into Raposa's body, leaving no part untouched. The only thing they could hear was the sound of the attack and Raposa's screaming. The attack shook the whole underground room, making them worry if it was going to cave in on them any second. It didn't, even after the final attack had fallen silent.

Left standing, propped up against the wall of the cave was the charred remains of Raposa, burned and scorched beyond recognition. His red eyes had faded to black, staring straight ahead. Slowly, his body started to crumble. His clawed hands were the first to go followed by his arms, then his legs and torso. Without his body there to support him, his head fell to the ground, flaking to dust on its way down to the dark pile on the ground. Raposa was dead. And never coming back.

Ichigo stood, sword still tied to his hand, panting. Nathan stood behind him, breaths matching his. They stood for about a moment more before falling simultaneously to the ground with twin thuds.

They lay panting on the ground, too weak to remain standing any longer. It wasn't just exhaustion that made them fall. It was also relief. Relief that it was finally over. They were finally safe and never had to worry about those Arrancars coming after them ever again.

Nathan had fallen over onto his back and lay beside Ichigo facing the north wall, while Ichigo lay with his head in line with Nathan's on his back facing the south wall. Slowly, he turned his head towards Nathan after catching his breath.

"Nathan… it's over. He's gone."

He nodded once. "Yeah…" He still hadn't caught his breath yet. It took him a few more pants before he was breathing right along with Ichigo.

Ichigo faced the ceiling with a long sigh. "Nathan… I couldn't have done it without you." He meant every word of that. "Thank you."

Nathan made a strange sound like a gasp and then held his breath. It was a few seconds before Ichigo heard him breathe again. But he sounded different. Like he was whimpering. Ichigo turned his head and saw Nathan holding a hand to his eyes, biting his lower lip.

"Are you… crying?"

Nathan sniffled. "No…"

Ichigo chuckled a little. "Why are you crying? What's the matter?"

Nathan faced the ceiling, taking his hand away from his eyes. "It's just that… it's just…" He sniffled. "That's the first time I've ever given someone a reason to be thanked. I've never been thanked before. Not for something like this." He pressed a hand to his eye again. "Ichigo… Thank you. Thank you, Ichigo."

Ichigo turned his head away. "Idiot. You don't have to thank me for anything. I'm the one that needs to thank you. You've done plenty to be thanked for."

"But I'm thanking you for thanking me."

Ichigo smiled. "You don't have to."

"I want to. Thanks for thanking me. Thanks for helping me. Thank you."

Ichigo sighed. "Nathan… you can shut up now. I get it. And you're welcome."

Nathan chuckled looking back up at the ceiling. "I still can't believe it. I… actually fought. Me."

"Yeah." Ichigo took in a deep breath. "You did a good job. Thanks for having my back. Couldn't have done it without you."

"Thank-"

"Don't start that again."

"Sorry…" Nathan laughed.

"Nathan!"

Rosalia came running out from her hiding place and into Nathan's chest. She jumped onto his gut and hugged him tight.

"Don't you ever do that again, you idiot! You had me scared to death!"

Nathan wrapped an arm around her hip, hugging her back weakly. "I'm sorry to have worried you. But I'm flattered that you care so much about me."

She lightly tapped his forehead with her knuckle. "Idiot! You had me worried sick!" Even while scolding him, she had a smile on her face. She buried her face in his neck. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"You don't have to worry. I had his back," Ichigo told her gently.

She bonked him in the head, too. "And don't you dare die on me, either! I was worried for you, too, Ichigo!" She leaned over and gave Ichigo a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you for protecting him. Thank you for saving us. Thank you for fighting so hard, Ichigo."

Stunned, Ichigo blinked at her. Then slowly started to smile. "No problem."

Sitting between both of them on the ground, she poked Ichigo's head with her finger. "Why didn't you put on that mask thingy you had in your other fight?"

Ichigo remembered donning his mask for his fight against Serpiente. But not for this one. He closed his eyes, turning his head back so she could see his grin. "Didn't need it."

By donning that mask against Raposa was like spitting on his values. After all the things Raposa had to say about evolution, power and just the lust he had for them both, Ichigo couldn't stand the thought of wearing what Raposa wanted most. He wanted to defeat him as he was without the help from the power he wanted so desperately.

After a nice rest on the cool sandy ground, the group made its way back towards the tunnel. Keeping optimistic, Ichigo believed that the path had been cleared by this time and they could get out. As he led the way towards the exit, they came to a sudden halt.

He turned around. Rosalia was standing behind him holding onto Nathan with one hand, the other on her stomach.

She gave Ichigo and Nathan a wide-eyed expression. "Uh-oh."

* * *

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	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: **

Rosalia clung tightly to Nathan's sleeve, clutching her stomach with the other. She doubled over in pain. Nathan helped her to stand. She lowered her head to her chest gasping.

"What's the matter?" Ichigo turned and came back for them. He stood watching her grimace.

She panted and gave them both a frightened look. "M- my water just broke."

Nathan and Ichigo stared at her, then at each other.

Ichigo had a bad feeling about this, but he hoped that he was wrong. "Wh- wha- what does that mean?"

She held onto her stomach, shutting her eyes in pain. "Th- the baby's coming..!"

All hell broke loose.

"The baby's coming?" Ichigo and Nathan screamed in unison.

Nathan helped her to remain standing. "What do we do?"

Ichigo looked around in a panic. They were in the middle of the broken underground laboratory just a few yards away from the caved-in passageway. All they needed to do was move aside some of those rocks and they would be in the tunnel out.

"Can't it wait? We're almost out."

Rosalia moaned loudly, holding her stomach even tighter. "No… No, I don't think so..!"

"But- but we're-"

"Augh!" She doubled over in pain. "I need to sit down… I need to sit down!"

Nathan helped her to the ground, cradling her in his arms. "Ichigo, there's no way she can make it out of here like this! Forget about the climb out of the tunnel, she can't even walk!"

"Th- then I'll carry her!"

"I don't think that'll do. She's too far along as it is. She's having the baby!"

"Uh… Uh…" Ichigo looked wildly around. What was he supposed to do now? He didn't know the first thing about giving birth or how to deliver a baby. "We have to get her to a doctor!"

Rosalia screamed, holding her knees tightly together. "Ohh! Aaaugh! Ahh, it's coming!"

Ichigo panicked. "What do we do? What do we do?"

"Uh… um…" Nathan was just as freaked out about this as Ichigo was. "K- keep your legs crossed."

"I don't think it works that way!"

Ichigo tired to think back to every TV show he's ever watched and everything he's been told by his father and sisters. Despite running a clinic, Ichigo didn't know the first thing about medicine. His sisters were nurses. They would know. He usually stayed out of the way. Boy, was he kicking himself now.

Rosalia screamed, squeezing Nathan's hand in hers. No one was prepared for this.

"Ichigo!" Nathan was pleading for help. He didn't know what to do.

He looked around again. His brown eyes fell on the blocked off tunnel. "I- I'll start digging us out. Then we can get help for her."

"Uh, right. Good thinking."

Ichigo started to dig furiously, all the while listening to Rosalia's screams and moans of pain. His whole body was aching from the fights and he was feeling a little dizzy. But he had to remain calm. His hand reached out to move aside another rock at the same time it was moved from the other side. Someone else was tunneling through as well.

Breaking through to the other side, Ichigo felt a breeze reach out and touch his face. Then something blocked it, moving in front of the small hole.

"Ichigo!"

"Wh- who..?"

"It's me! Hanataro!"

"H- Hanataro?" This was wonderful news. He was the next best thing to a doctor. Maybe even just as good. Or better, even. "Hanataro, we need help!"

"I'm sure you do. The Relief team was dispatched here to take care of the injured. You look pretty banged up. Hang on, I'll move some of these rocks so I can get through. If you move the wrong ones, it's collapse again."

"Hurry up!" He heard Rosalia groaning in the background. "Please, hurry!"

After several minutes of digging his way through, Hanataro finally broke through to the other side. Wasting no time, Ichigo reached into the tunnel and pulled Hanataro through to his side of the rock wall.

Hanataro looked him up and down. "You're in even worse shape than I figured."

"Yeah, but I'm not the one you need to help right now." He pointed over to Rosalia. "It's her!"

She lay in Nathan's lap, twisting her body around rather painfully, trying to relieve herself from the pain.

Hanataro took one look at her and knew. "She- she's having a baby?"

"You're sharp." Ichigo pushed him over to her. "Help her."

He looked around. "But- but- but I- I- I- I..!"

"Please!"

"Aaauughh!" She tensed up and writhed on the ground. "Ahh! It hurts!"

Hanataro gulped. He took one look around the room, back at the tunnel and rolled up his sleeves. "She'll have to have it here. There's no way she can get out of here in this condition. This isn't the best place for it, but it'll have to do."

Ichigo was eager to help in any way he could. "What do you need me to do?"

Hanataro took off his bag and opened it up. "I have the towels here and they're sterile. I do need boiling water, though."

Ichigo looked around. "Uh…" There wasn't any water here. It was a desert after all.

Hanataro reached into his bag and took out a canteen. "I have this. It's not a lot, but it'll have to do. Just heat it up."

Ichigo took it and ran over to one of the few remaining tables that hadn't been broken in the fray. There was a small tub there and a Bunsen burner. Too bad there wasn't anything bigger, but at least he had a heat source. He started heating it up.

Hanataro put on his gloves and lay a couple of towels under her. "Miss Rosalia, I need you to lie back flat, ok? You can't be on your side."

She sniffled. "O- ok…" Nathan helped her to do so.

"Just relax. Raise you knees, now. That's it. Keep them there just like that." Hanataro nervously lifted up the end of her kimono. "Ah! You're further along than I expected!"

"Wh- what's that mean?" she asked, sounding very scared.

Nathan gulped. "I- I should…" He started to get up, but Rosalia pulled him back down.

"No! I need you here! Stay with me!"

"But -but…" Nathan swallowed hard. "But men aren't allowed in the birthing room!"

"This isn't a birthing room, Nathan!" She threw her head back holding her stomach. "Ohh! Oh, Nathan! I need you! Please stay!"

He slowly got back down by her head. "Ok. Ok…" He was sweating just as much as she was. "Ok…"

Ichigo got the water to come to a fair boil then took it off the heat and over to Hanataro. "Now what? Is that all?"

Hanataro swallowed. "Yeah, I guess."

"What do you mean you guess?"

The small boy looked up at him shakily. "To be truthful… I- I've never actually delivered a baby before."

"What?"

"I have delivered animal babies before and I have been taught what to do in this kind of situation, but I've never actually done it before. I never needed to. Not even my brother has and he's been doing this longer than I have."

"So do you know what you're doing?"

"Y- yes. Yes, I do. Just bear with me." He looked at everything set around him, making sure it was all in place. "Ok, Miss Rosalia… I need you to stay calm and focus on your breathing."

She gripped Nathan's hand tightly. "Nathan… I'm scared..!"

She had every reason to be. Not just because of what was happening here, but the fact that her own mother died during child birth with her. The fear that they would share the same fate frightened her greatly.

"You'll be just fine," Nathan told her, stroking her head tenderly. "I'll be right here by your side. Hanataro knows what he's doing. You're in good hands. You're going to be fine."

She gripped his hand tightly in her left, holding on to her stomach with the right. She nodded slowly. She turned away, facing the ceiling as Hanataro forced himself to look between her legs. Ichigo stood watching from behind Nathan and saw Hanataro do something under her kimono that made her flinch. He looked very nervous, but it also seemed like he was toning it down for her sake. He didn't want to frighten her any more than she already was.

Rosalia suddenly cried out in pain, clenching Nathan's hand until it turned white.

Hanataro nodded. "The timing's right. This is it." He look a deep breath and looked at the girl on her back. "Miss Rosalia, please… I need you to push on this next one, ok? On the next contraction, push."

She nodded.

"And concentrate on your breathing. Don't get overexcited. Just calm yourself."

She held Nathan's hand tighter, fighting back tears. She was so afraid.

Hanataro looked down, holding her knees up. "Ok, ready… and… push!"

"AAAAAAUUGH!"

Her scream rang throughout the room, coming back to their ears is softer echoes. She arched her back, clawing at Nathan's hand.

"Again!"

She screamed again, the pain far more incredible than anything she had expected.

"Again, push!"

With Hanataro coaching her, Ichigo had a good feeling that things would work out wonderfully and that it would be over quickly.

Three minutes passed with no change in rhythm. Was the baby coming or not? She'd scream and Hanataro would tell her to keep it up. Nathan rested his head on their enclosed hands, turning away from where the baby was on its way. He looked like he was going to be sick. Was this the reason why men weren't allowed to be with their women back then? Then again, it was Nathan. He was pretty frail.

"Nathan..!" Rosalia panted between pushes.

"Yeah?" He sounded weak, like he was about to faint.

"Don't… Don't you dare… faint on me..!"

He wiped the sweaty hair off her brow. "Uh-huh. Sure… No problem…" He looked very pale and sickly, leading Ichigo to believe that he wasn't going to live up to that promise.

"I can see the head!" Hanataro cried from her lower half. "You're doing great! Keep it up! Push!"

She screamed louder than ever.

"It's on it's way! Doing good!"

"It hurts!"

"I know, I know! Keep pushing!"

Ichigo turned to look at how things were going on Hanataro's end. Big mistake. He quickly turned his head away, feeling just as lightheaded as Nathan all of a sudden. He shouldn't have looked. Why, oh why did he look?

"Push!"

Rosalia moaned loudly before screaming again, turning her head from side to side. She was in incredible pain. She was told to push again and she started sobbing as she screamed. Sweat and tears rolled down her rosy face.

Ichigo paced the floor, nervously. Was this normal? Should she be screaming that much? Was this how it was for all mothers?

"Again! You're doing fine! Fantastic! I can see its face!"

She screamed and cried, fighting to catch her breath. She looked at Nathan who was keeping his head down. He was squeezing her hand back.

"N… Nathan…" She sounded weak and frightened.

"You're doing fine…" Nathan panted and turned up his head to give her a reassuring smile. "You can do it. I'm right here. I won't leave you, so don't worry."

She nodded back with a weak grin.

"The shoulders are here! I can see the chest. One more push should do it. Please, give me one really good push! Now, push!"

She shut her eyes tightly and pushed with all her strength.

"Push! Push! Push! Push!" Hanataro coached her. "Push!"

Ichigo sat on the ground, facing the other way and covering his ears as she screamed. He kept telling himself that this would all be over soon. Everything was going to be ok. He rolled himself into a ball, resting his chin on his raised knees. Even with his ears covered, he could still hear her screams.

Then he didn't hear anything.

He uncovered his ears. Nothing. Dare he look? He was afraid of what he might find.

Then he heard it. A baby crying.

The first cries of a newborn baby taking its first breaths of life.

Ichigo turned around and saw a sight he had never seen before in his life.

Hanataro was cleaning off a slimy and bloody fidgeting baby. It had its eyes shut tight and its mouth wide open, crying and inhaling sharply. Its tiny hands waved awkwardly in the air as it was cleaned off and wrapped in a fresh clean towel by the Soul Reaper holding him.

Ichigo moved closer on his hands and knees, suddenly too weak to stand. He was in awe. He crawled over to where Nathan and Rosalia were on the ground. She had her eyes shut tightly, dripping in sweat and breathing heavily. Nathan looked pale and worn out himself, panting and sweating as much as she was, fighting to remain upright.

The baby in Hanataro's arms started to quiet down a little, now making soft cooing noises and an occasional whimpering cry.

Hanataro moved closer to Nathan, parts of his kimono stained with blood and afterbirth. He handed off the child to the shaking father.

"It's a boy."

His breath caught in his throat.

"Would you like to hold him?"

He looked at the baby and then back at the Soul Reaper.

"It's fine. I had him checked up. He's healthy and very much alive. Here."

Nathan took the child into his arms and stared down at him. Only his head and the tops of his two little fists were visible. The baby lay nice and quiet in his arms making soft cooing sounds every now and again. Nathan held him as if the child were made of precious glass that would shatter if moved in the slightest. Nathan breathed in an almost gasp but it was more of a sigh. Still sitting on the ground, Nathan very carefully moved his hand across the baby's cheek. The infant shifted at his touch.

"My… son…" Nathan lowered his head over the baby in his arms. He cradled the baby carefully. "I have a son."

Hanataro and Ichigo sat and watched Nathan's reactions to his first encounter with his newborn baby boy. It really was a touching moment.

He looked down at his wife. "Rosalia… look." He held up the child. "It's our new baby boy. Isn't it wonderful?"

She opened her eyes weakly. "Yes…" She gave a tiny nod.

Nathan's expression quickly turned to worry at the tone of his wife's voice. "Are you well?"

She nodded. "I'm just tired. That's all."

Hanataro moved over to her and took her pulse. He listened to her breaths and her heartbeat. He checked her temperature. "She's alright. She's doing fine. All she needs is a little rest. The baby probably came so quick due to high stress levels. You shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"That's good."

Rosalia turned her head to look at the child. "May I see him?"

"Of course." Nathan lowered his whole body so as not to drop the baby, allowing Rosalia a good view from where she lay.

She reached up with a trembling hand and stroked the baby's head. The child cooed. "My baby…" Her eyes sparkled and her smile was even more radiant that ever before. She was a mother.

Nathan smiled at his wife and held her hand for a moment.

The baby opened its eyes. Deep sea blue eyes. They sparkled like stars, taking everything in one long stare at a time. Then his eyes found the man holding him. He looked at Nathan in awe.

Nathan smiled at him. "Hey… Hello." He caressed the baby's cheek. His voice was soft and sweet. And amazed. He sounded a little nervous, too. It was as if he were talking to an angel. "I'm your dad."

The baby blinked. Then his little hand reach out and latched onto Nathan's finger.

"Yes… I'm your dad." A tear rolled down his face and dripped onto the baby's towel. Nathan was crying. He was crying for everything. Everything he had been through. Everything he had done to have this child. Everything he did for this child. Everything leading up to this point. But most of all, crying for his baby. He was happy beyond words. His tears spoke for all the things he was feeling.

He held his son. He held him like a father. A loving father.

Rosalia giggled. "He knows you."

Naturally, the baby had just latched onto anything it had within reach without knowing who or what anything was, but no one was going to tell her that.

She reach up and stroked her baby's head for a second time. The baby cooed and shifted in his towel. "Hi, there. I'm your mummy." The child was too busy looking at the ceiling to notice. Only when she moved to put her hand down did he turn his little head towards her and watched her lie back down. She smiled at him and he blinked. She giggled.

Ichigo had remained silent up until this point. Now he wanted to ask his question. "What's his name going to be?"

Nathan and Rosalia looked at each other. "We hadn't thought of a name yet."

"We want it to be special. Something meaningful."

"Name him after Ichigo," Hanataro teased.

"No. Don't name him after me, whatever you do. Please."

They all laughed. The baby made a sound as if he were about to cry. Nathan held onto him and told him that everything was alright.

Hanataro set to work healing Ichigo's injuries after everything was set with the new family. Ichigo watched them sit and stare at their baby as he received treatment from the Soul Reaper. Rosalia still looked tired but that was to be expected after all this. All she needed was some rest. She was already looking a great deal better.

After he was all healed and everyone had rested for a short bit, they all went back into the tunnel and set out for home. Ichigo willingly carried Rosalia and Nathan carried his baby. Hanataro lead the way back to a rope he had strung through the sand opening in the ceiling of the tunnel. It was easy to climb out with this.

Once out in the cool desert air, the group counted heads. Everyone was there, along with a few additional faces. Carrying Hitsugaya on her back, Rangiku stood nearby with a few other squad members. They were all getting ready to go through a Garganta. Hisagi and Kira were there as well, watching the members of Squad 2 take their own captain back for treatment.

"My, where did that come from?" Rangiku asked excitedly, looking at the baby.

Rosalia answered from Ichigo's arms. "I had my baby. Hanataro helped me deliver it. We have a son now."

"Oh, wonderful!" Rangiku nearly dropped her captain by removing her hands out from under him to clap.

"Matsumoto!"

"Oh, sorry, sir." She helped him back up again. "Come on, let's go home. It's been quite some day, huh?"

"What about that Arrancar?" Hisagi asked.

"Dead," Ichigo answered. "I… We killed him. Together. Nathan and me."

"Really?" He sounded very surprised to hear that and with good reason.

Nathan actually looked almost flattered to hear Ichigo include him in the credit like that.

Kira pointed to the Garganta. "Come on, we need to move."

Everyone climbed through and went back to the Soul Society together.

* * *

We're almost done. Please review! ^-^


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

Once back at the Seireitei, everyone was treated for their injuries. Soi Fon wasn't as hurt as they thought she was. Her fight with Raposa only ended when he threw up through the roof and knocked her out. Aside from two broken ribs, a broken arm, several cuts and bruises and whiplash, she was ok. She was already on her feet and walking around the halls, unable to sit still in a hospital bed for very long. Hitsugaya was treated for his injuries as well. He had taken quite a beating but it wasn't anything life-threatening. His legs had to stay bandaged for the next couple of days and was advised against walking on them for the next 24 hours and after that he would have to use crutches to get around. Naturally, both Momo and Rangiku offered to carry him, but he firmly declined, telling them that he was no child and could walk fine on his own. He didn't want to be carried around like a baby and certainly not by either of them. Hisagi was bandaged up himself, but thanks to Kira's help in the tunnel, his injuries weren't too bad. He was up and moving around within the hour.

Just to be on the safe side, Unohana had Rosalia and her new baby checked up as well. And just as Hanataro said, they were both doing just fine. She praised Hanataro for a job well done. Unohana congratulated them on a beautiful, healthy baby boy. But then she asked to take a look at Nathan. After what he had been through, it was only natural for her to be concerned. Mayuri even offered to check him out. She allowed this only when he put the saw and syringe away.

After Ichigo was finished with his check-up, he passed by Ukitake's open office and found the family asleep on his couch. Rosalia was laying on her side, her baby beside her wrapped in a real baby blanket, suckling a pacifier. Nathan was sitting on the floor propped against the couch, head on the cushions and holding his wife's hand as he slept. Ichigo watched them with a smile.

"They're fine, Ichigo. There's no need to worry."

He looked up and saw Ukitake standing next to him peering into the room over his shoulder. "What makes you think that I was worried about them? I know they're fine. They were fine before, weren't they?" He was referring to the time when they had crossed over, but left it unclear whether or not they ever made it to the Soul Society. "I'm just glad that it's over."

Ukitake smiled and looked back into the room. "Cute baby, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Don't try to sound so tough. I know what you're thinking."

Ichigo said nothing.

Then Ukitake's face changed. "You know… We had Nathan checked out."

Ichigo turned. "And?"

Ukitake turned to him. Ichigo had a hard time reading his face. He couldn't tell if this was good news or bad. "It's an interesting story, actually. Two things saved his life while that machine was sucking him dry."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He was smiling again. "That bracelet he had on. Nemu told me about it when she showed up asking for it back when he arrived. It acted as a conductor. Most of the electricity was absorbed into that bracelet. Unfortunately for it, the power was too much for it and it ended up breaking."

"And the second thing that saved him?"

He smiled again. "That gift your sister gave him. It prevented the current from being completed because he kept it inside of his shirt, directly over his heart. It blocked part of the blast and didn't shatter."

"Probably because of the bracelet taking most of the hit."

"Possibly."

Ichigo sighed. That was good. But who knew how long that would have lasted before that machine became too powerful for those things to handle? If he hadn't been there to help him, he would have died anyway. He knew that. Still, he was thankful for the delay thanks to those objects. _Way to go, Yuzu_… She helped him without even meaning to.

"There's uh… something else…"

He looked up again. "Oh? Now what?"

"It's about Nathan's condition…" He looked back into the room at the man on the floor. "He displayed some of his old power back there, didn't he?"

"Are you saying that it was a bad thing? It was just a last moment release because of the bracelet, right? Don't tell me there's another problem."

"Well, not necessarily. But it does have to do with the bracelet… and that machine."

"Really? Now what?"

"You see, Nemu told me that she and her father created it to give back lost power to Soul Reapers who have lost theirs. In a sense, it did what it was meant to." Ukitake rubbed the back of his head. "I had a hard time understanding it first myself, but… Basically, that machine charged the bracelet so much in the midst of the power surge that it, unintentionally, overloaded the bracelet to the point where it pumped its power into Nathan's body… restoring his powers."

"For how long?"

The captain turned from the office back to him. "Permanently."

Ichigo turned his whole body to him. "P- permanently? You… you mean that he has his powers back… like, forever?"

"Yes, in fact."

Ichigo got a little worried, remembering what having this power was like. "So… does he have to go around absorbing Spirit Energy again like before and having a shortened life?"

"Actually not. You see, that was only true for when they weren't full souls yet. Now that they are, they can produce their own Spirit Energy. Nathan doesn't have anything to worry about. He's perfectly safe and healthy. There's nothing to worry about."

"That's good." It was a huge relief. He looked away, back into the room. The baby was twitching, but didn't wake up.

"Although, Ichigo…" Ukitake was whispering into his ear. "I think that his powers would have been restored at some point anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"Come on, Ichigo. Haven't you noticed anything about Nathan at all? Simply things that could easily be overlooked?"

That seemed a bit contradictory. How could he notice something that was easily overlooked?

"Such as?"

"He's displayed strong Spiritual Energy in the past, Ichigo. Hints that he has a power growing inside of him. For instance, he has an appetite. Haven't you noticed that? Not every average soul displays this."

Come to think of it, Ichigo had noticed that about him. Back in the World of the Living, he had a healthy appetite. His stomach would growl when he was hungry and he did have a strong desire for food throughout the day just like a normal person would. How did he miss that?

"You know what this means, right?" Ukitake was looking at Nathan expectantly. "He has what it takes to become a Soul Reaper some day. He could join us."

"What?" Ichigo couldn't believe it. Nathan a Soul Reaper? He couldn't fight! Then again, not many of these people could until they were trained. He could make it as one. If he had the talent for it and the power. It could work out for him. After all, he was ashamed of himself for not having the power to protect his family with his own hands. Now he could. He no longer had a reason to be ashamed.

"It's up to him, though. He has to come to us. We can't make him do it if he doesn't want to."

"I understand." Ichigo took one last look into the office before turning away. "Well, that's it, I guess." He started to walk away.

"Hm? You're leaving?" Ukitake sounded surprised.

Ichigo stopped walking. "Well, yeah. There's no longer a reason for me to stay, is there? The enemy's gone, Nathan's here with his family and Rosalia had her baby. Everything's ok. They no longer need me around so I might as well go home. My family's probably wondering where I am. I haven't been home for a couple of days."

"I suppose you do have a point." Ukitake looked back into the room. "But don't you want to say good-bye to them before you do?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I don't want to wake them up. Tell them for me, ok?"

"I suppose I could. But it really should be you doing it."

Ichigo shrugged. He didn't know when they'd be up again and he didn't want to wait around. He really wanted to get home. Besides, it wasn't like he'd never see them again. He'd be back here in no time.

"Ichigo."

He jumped and turned around. Nathan was up and standing right behind him. "Oh. It's you."

Nathan marched over to him looking concerned. "You're leaving? Without saying good-bye?"

"It's not that. I just… I kind of want to get home to my family, you know."

"I understand…" Nathan looked down. "But still."

He sighed and walked over to him. "To tell the truth… I'm not sure how to say it to you guys. I mean, I am going to see you again so it really isn't good-bye, but… And I didn't want to wake you guys up for it. And… I know this must sound really stupid, but… I really want to get home to see my family. After what happened with you guys, it made me think about mine a lot more. I just want to be there."

"That's not stupid at all, Ichigo." Nathan meant every word. "I may not have had a loving family related to me by blood, but I do have a family that cares for me now. I'm not sure how I feel about my blood family, but I know how I feel about my real family. Even if we're just sitting about doing nothing, I cherish that moment with them and will hold onto it forever. I'm already dead, Ichigo. And I remember how short my time was with them in life. But you never know just how much time you still have. You won't lose any respect by admitting that you love them."

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah…"

Nathan grinned.

Ichigo's smile faded slightly, debating whether or not to tell him what was haunting his mind at the moment. He decided. "You know… According to the others, you have your powers back. That energy draining ability and the possession and whatever else you could do before that I knew nothing about, like that weapon thing you made."

"Yeah, it was my first time trying it out." Nathan smiled again. "And yeah… I heard."

"You know… they said that you'd make a great Soul Reaper, if you wanted to be."

Nathan lifted his head, shaking it. "Yes. But no."

"No what?"

"Becoming a Soul Reaper. I'm sorry, but it's not for me. I'd rather not."

"Oh?" Ichigo was a little surprised by his decision, but not by much.

"Yeah. I'd have to leave my family for training. And I'll be in danger all the time, risking my life. I can't leave Rosalia all alone to worry and raise a baby without me. I just… I don't want to. Thank you."

Ichigo smiled and patted his shoulder. "Ah, you don't have to if you don't want to. Just a thought. But with your powers back, you can protect them with your own hands and you don't have to relay on everyone else for help all the time, right?"

Nathan gave a little nod. "Yes… Though, there is no shame in asking for help when you need it. But I just felt like I was less of a man because I relayed too much on others and couldn't do anything for myself. That's all."

"But you did manage to protect them, Nathan. And me. You helped me a lot. With or without your powers, you are useful. And you did help me in the little things and the big ones. Don't look down on yourself."

"I won't."

"Don't make me worry about you so much, ok?"

"Got it. I won't."

Ichigo stuck his hand out towards Nathan's chest. "I'll be seeing you. I want to see that kid of yours walk around and say his first words, got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Nathan gripped Ichigo's hand tightly and shook it, smiling every second. "I still can't believe I have a son. It's so great!"

"You bet it is. Take care of him, alright? And her, too."

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll do it with my own hands. I'll protect them all."

Ichigo nodded and started to walk away down the hall.

Nathan stood where he was, watching him leave.

"I'll see you soon, I guess. Tell the rest that, too, ok? And give Rosalia my best for her and the baby."

"I will."

"And good luck picking a name."

"Thanks. I will."

"And not Ichigo, ok? Anything but that."

"Sure!" he laughed.

He waved. "Later!"

"Bye, Ichigo! Say hi to your family for me, please!"

"Will do!"

Nathan watched until Ichigo was no longer in sight and went back into the room. Ukitake was long gone, vanishing like a ghost. He walked back to the couch and knelt beside his family. Rosalia slept soundly, but the baby was starting to squirm and fuss. Nathan reached down and picked him up and rocked him gently, trying to let his wife sleep. The baby fussed a little, but started to calm at his father's gently rocking.

"Don't worry. I'm here. And I'll never leave you again. I promise."

Rosalia smiled, without opening her eyes, thankful to hear it.

X

"I'm home!" Ichigo called from the door, removing his shoes.

Yuzu ran up to greet him, excited to know that he was home. "Welcome back, Ichigo! How was your trip? You were gone for a couple of days."

"I've done that before, haven't I?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Hey, Ichigo." It was Karin this time. "Dad's doing some work at the clinic, so he's not here right now. So where have you been?"

"Uh, with Nathan. I took him home, remember?"

"And that took you almost three days?"

"He lives a long way away from here."

"I get it." She walked back into the living room. "We ordered Chinese if you want any. We weren't sure if you were coming home or not."

"Yeah, thanks." Ichigo walked further into the house and as he did, he noticed a welcomed change in the home. "Ah, I see you got the wall fixed."

"Yup. Just finished it up today. They worked fast."

Ichigo followed his sisters into the living room and sat down on the couch, resting his arms on the back and his legs stretched out. What he really wanted to do was take a shower and call it an early night. But his experience from what had occurred over the past few days compelled him to stay put. Yuzu sat beside him on the couch, Karin on his left.

"So what was it like at their house, Ichigo?" Yuzu asked. "Was it fancy like in textbooks? I heard that the English really know how to live. Did they live in a big house with white walls and a pool and all that stuff?"

"Nah, they live pretty moistly," Ichigo confessed.

Yuzu made herself comfortable beside him. "Paint a picture for me. What was it like? What did you do there?"

Ichigo tried to think. He wanted to tell them the truth, but not all of it. If he told them nothing then she would keep pestering him about it until he answered. He decided to tell part of the truth, filling in gaps with little lies here and there.

"Well… their house is pretty nice. Average, I guess. It's about the size of ours, without the second floor. Um… his wife was nice. She's very pretty and she wanted me to stay for a while. Oh, and she was expecting a baby."

"Really?" Yuzu was very excited. "Did she have it?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact. She wasn't expecting it for a while, but she suddenly went into labor right there in the middle of our walk." He had to leave out the part with the Arrancars and the underground lab.

"What'd you do?"

Ichigo started to laugh despite himself. "Me and Nathan were with her at the time. We didn't know what to do. All we did was run around in a panic."

"Leave it to Ichigo to run around like a chicken with its head cut off in the time of crisis." This remark came from the sister on his other side. Karin looked very amused at Ichigo's story. "So what happened?"

"We were in luck. One of their neighbors was a doctor so he helped deliver her baby because we couldn't get her to the hospital in time. She had it right there on the ground. She was really scared."

"I bet. It's easy to hear about it, but it's another thing to actually have it. I would be scared, too." Yuzu paused, thinking about it. "And with no medicine or drugs to give her, she must have been in a lot of pain!"

"She kept screaming. Nathan was with her the whole time, but he looked like he was going to pass out any second."

"And what'd you do?" Karin asked.

"I, uh… paced the ground and then sat on the floor and covered by ears."

She started laughing at him.

"What? All that screaming was getting to me. And I walked over to where the doctor was and caught a glimpse at what was going on and… I…" He shut his eyes tight, trying to get rid of the image. "I didn't like it, let's just say that."

"Too much blood, the sight of the baby's head poking out or the fact that you saw her private part?"

"All of the above!" He tried to shake the image from his mind. "Can we move on now?"

"What was it? A boy or girl?"

Ichigo smiled. "A boy. She had a boy."

"Aww!" Yuzu cooed. "What'd she name it?"

"Don't know yet. They hadn't thought about a name."

"They should name it 'Ichi Junior'," Karin joked.

"Shut up," Ichigo rolled his eyes.

As he sat there with his sisters under each arm, Ichigo felt at peace. This was the life he wanted. A nice tranquil life of peace. He only fought because he had to. Being in danger so many times made him realize that he and those around him could die at any moment. That's why he liked peace. Then he had nothing to worry about. With no danger around, none of his loved ones would have to die or suffer. He had seen enough of that in his lifetime.

Nathan had the right idea. He knew what his values were. He knew what was truly important. Growing up with nothing made him a rich person. He knew how hard it was to live. He knew what true suffering was. And maybe there were people out there who had it worse than him, but that was no reason to give up hope. Maybe they wouldn't get the help that they need, but that was no reason to despair. No matter what, if you live well, you'll be rewarded in the next life. As bad as Nathan's life was, he had some joy in it at least. Maybe he didn't marry her when they were alive, but at least they met and grew up together. Now they were married and had a son and a good life. Maybe they didn't live in a mansion anymore with servants and butlers, but they were happy. They had each other and that was enough.

That's right. You can't take those things with you. But people you could and they were a little harder to lose. But as long as you treat them well, they always have a way to come back to you. Rosalia fell for Nathan for many reasons, many of which Ichigo was clueless about. But he knew that she loved him for his kindness and good heart. He gave her everything she wanted and spoiled her, but he made her happy. He allowed her to live. Rather than be shut up inside all her life, he helped her to get out and breathe the fresh air. He knew she loved him for that. And he made her smile. They played together. They were compatible.

And Nathan loved her because she made him feel wanted, which was all he ever really wanted. He lived everyday wishing never to be thrown away again. That was why he obeyed. Out of fear of being left behind. Of being rejected. Looking back for him meant that someone else cared. That he had some worth to him and wasn't just a waste. Knowing that she wanted him from the very start marked the beginning to their relationship.

Maybe it wasn't love at first sight, but it was true love. And even in death, it couldn't be broken. This whole ordeal was proof enough of that.

He was willing to die for her and she was willing to do the same for him. She was reckless enough to go into danger with an unborn baby in her womb just to save him. They were both foolish, but they thought that they were doing the right thing. They wanted to save each other. To protect one another.

And Ichigo would do the same for anyone else. He would die if it meant protecting his sisters. Even his dad, even though they spent most of their time fighting. They were his family and he loved them all. That's why he became strong and why he had to get stronger. That was why he became a Soul Reaper. To protect the ones who couldn't protect themselves. To protect the ones who needed saving. Just to protect. That's what he wanted to do. He was driven to protect. And maybe he couldn't save everyone, but the least he could do was try.

No matter how many times Nathan failed, he still kept trying. It took him years, but he got better. Maybe he wasn't perfect, but who was? He was aware of his flaws but wouldn't let that stop him from doing the best that he could do, even if it wasn't good enough. And once in a while, no matter how long it took, he'd succeed. He got the woman of his dreams, he has a son to care for, a family who loves him and who he loves back, and a nice home and a peaceful life. Though imperfect and flawed, his life turned out pretty good.

"Uh, Ichigo..?"

"Hm?"

"You're crushing me."

"Huh?" He looked down and noticed that his arm had slipped off the back of the couch and was now wrapped around Yuzu's neck in a tight hug. The same went for Karin. Unbeknownst to him, his strong thoughts of protecting his family and loved ones had compelled his arms to hold his sisters tightly. "Oh, sorry."

Karin had an arm draped around her as well. "What's up with you? Is this supposed to be a hug?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess." He tightened his hold on purpose this time. "Why? You know you make a pretty good armrest."

"Quit teasing." He pretended to bite her hair and she took a swing at his head. "What's gotten into you, huh?"

"Just happy to be home, I guess." He was grateful for all that he had. And for the things and the people he lost. He had a pretty good life. He had so many people to look out for and so many people to love him back. People who relayed on him.

And to think, maybe if he didn't, would he turn out like Serpiente? The guy only had one thing to love in his life and without it he saw no reason to go on living. He had no purpose or meaning. That's what he thought. Did someone like him really have no reason to live? If Ichigo didn't have his family and friends to look after, would he feel the same way? Or maybe it was that in dying he could be with the ones he had lost. There was nothing left for him in this world, so why bother staying? Death seemed less scary when you had nothing left to lose.

Maybe dying wouldn't be so bad, Ichigo thought. He had been to the Soul Society and it wasn't half bad. It was nice there and they had nothing to really worry about except for the occasional Hollow. And he could be with his mother again. That sounded nice. And when his time came, he'd be reunited with old friends and family. Death didn't seem so bad when you thought about it that way.

But as much as he hated to admit it, Raposa did have a point. Living was a strong desire, an instinct. Everybody clung to it like nothing else mattered. Without life, what did you really have? So many people feared death and avoid it at all costs. Everyday people fight to survive. Raposa was no exception. He went so far to keep himself alive and in power, but for what? He had no one to protect and no one waiting for him. He just wanted to keep living, whether it be out of fear or desire. He wanted to live.

Ichigo shut the thought out of his mind, in no mood to debate this now. He was home with his family and could rest. And that's all that mattered to him right now.

* * *

Please review! The next chapter will end it ^^


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

Ichigo was too tired to do anything that night. So after he sat with his sisters on the couch watching a little TV, he went straight up to bed. He kept nodding off during the program, so they all called it a night around 10:30. His father didn't come in until around 11:00 which suited him just fine. He didn't even change out of his clothes. He flopped down on the bed, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, he woke around 10:15 feeling very rested. That was a good sleep. He got out of bed and went to take his shower, deciding once he got in there to take a bath instead. It was an excellent choice. He enjoyed a nice hot soak in the tub, room smelling of water and soaps. He sank into the water up to his eyeballs and below out a mouthful of bubbles. He did this twice and stopped after inhaling under the water through his nose. He sprang up, coughing and snorting. That was stupid. He hadn't relax in a bathtub like this in so long, he had almost forgotten what it was like.

He got out a few minutes later, fully dressed and a white towel around his shoulders. He opened the door, unleashing the steam and went downstairs. A nice Sunday afternoon. He liked these days when he could just relax and do nothing.

Yuzu was fixing lunch in their newly repaired kitchen and Karin was up in her room. Ichigo poked his head in to see what his sister was making. "Hi, Ichigo. Was that you taking a bath upstairs? You sure got up late."

"Yeah, I was worn out." A water drop from his wet hair hit the edge of his nose, making him shiver slightly. He wrapped the towel around his head, drying his hair violently with both hands. "Save me any breakfast?"

"No, sorry. Dad ate your share."

"Great." He returned the towel to his shoulders.

"You can have this, though." She pointed to the bowl of fruit on the counter. "Lunch will take some time. But I'm almost done."

"Ok." He took an orange and peeled it. After he was finished eating, he went into the living room and flopped down on the couch. He picked up the remote and started surfing through channels. After finding something he liked, he stretched out and made himself comfortable.

His half hour of TV watching was disrupted by a knock on the front door. He glanced up. "Who could that be? Dad maybe?"

Yuzu looked. "I don't think so. He has a key. I sent him out for some carrots and cooking spray for tonight's dinner. Maybe it's a delivery guy. Could you check, Ichigo?"

"Yeah, sure." He reluctantly got up. And just when he got comfortable, too. But if he got too comfortable, he'd slip into a catnap which he didn't want. He passed Yuzu by in the kitchen, boiling some water and chopping up vegetables, and went over to the door.

He opened it.

"Hi, Ichigo! Long time, no see!"

Ichigo almost fell back out of shock.

Standing in front of him was the whole team. Rosalia holding her new baby, Nathan standing beside her and Sashiro standing between them smiling brightly.

"Y- you guys..!"

"Surprised?"

"Well, uh… yeah."

"Ichigo!" Sashiro tackled him, jumping through the door and into his gut. "You didn't come back to see us, so we came here! I only saw you once! It wasn't fair!"

He peeled Sashiro off his waist. "H- how did you guys..?"

"Ukitake pulled some strings," Rosalia answered. "He thought you had the right to see us off, but it didn't work out the way he thought so… He allowed us to come here for the day and visit you."

He still didn't fully grasp the situation it was so sudden and unexpected. But he was happy to see them again.

"Ichigo, who is it?"

He looked back at Yuzu who was coming over. "Uh…" He looked back at the group at the door. They were all in gigais, even the baby. She could see them. "It's, uh…"

"Hi!" Sashiro beat him to it. "I'm Sashiro! Who are you?"

She stopped in the middle of the room, coming to them. Sashiro was inside and over to her in less than a second. "I, uh… I'm Yuzu, Ichigo's little sister."

Sashiro was smiling at her. "You're real cute. You sure you're his sister?"

She was blushing furiously. "Well…" she giggled.

Ichigo turned back to the others. "You just came here to visit?"

"Yeah. You and Kisuke," Rosalia answered. "We want him to see our baby." She looked down at the bundle in her arms.

The baby wasn't doing anything but stare at the sky and the tall people over him. He stayed nice and quiet in her arms. Looks like she was a natural mother after all.

"NATHAN, MY BOY!"

"Ack!"

Nathan was grabbed from behind by Ichigo's father who lifted him up in the air, one arm around Nathan's neck and the other around his chest. Nathan held on tight with both hands, trying to pry the man's arm off from around his neck so that he could breathe, his legs kicking in the air.

"Dad, knock it off!"

"Knock what off? I'm just happy to see the son I never had home to see his daddy!" He squeezed him tighter, Nathan's face turning blue.

"Um… sir… please..?"

"Nathan, it's been so long! How have you been?"

Nathan forcibly pulled Isshin's arm down from around his throat and hooked his feet around the back of his captor's knee for support, turning his body towards him. "It's been a few days, sir. And I'm here with my wife and…"

"Waaahh!"

"… child."

Upon the sudden attack, the baby had gone into crying mode, screaming and fussing loudly in his mother's arms. She struggled to keep hold of him while he kicked and flailed about.

"Oh, your family's here!" Isshin set Nathan down, or rather tossed him and moved over to the mother and child. "Aw, she's a sweet thing, she is! Atta boy, Nathan! Way to pick 'em!"

Rosalia and Nathan were blushing heavily.

"Aww! What a cute little baby!" He squeezed in close, causing the baby to cry even louder.

"You stupid old man, keep scaring him, why don't you? Move!" Ichigo kicked his father aside and pulled Rosalia into the house along with her child. "Ignore him. He's an idiot."

"Oh, a baby!" Yuzu came running up to see it. "Aw, so cute! Come in, come in! Sit on the couch! I can get you some milk if you need it."

"No, thanks. I… already have it." Rosalia's face was red again.

"Oh. Oh! I totally forgot! I'm sorry! How embarrassing! But please come in!"

As the girls moved further into the house, Isshin got up from the sidewalk and followed after them, carrying a bag in his hand which was undoubtedly for Yuzu's dinner. Ichigo was about to follow after them when he felt a tug on his arm. Nathan stood holding a cloth-covered object in his hand.

"This is for you. I picked it up before we left. I thought it was only right that you should have it."

Ichigo took it from Nathan and slowly unwrapped the cloth. He looked down at a small doll wearing his hairs around its neck.

"It's the voodoo doll that was used on you back then. I found it and thought I should take it with me, just in case. Since the Arrancars are gone, I doubt that it still works, but just in case, I don't want it falling into the wrong hands. So I… I thought you should keep it."

Ichigo looked down at the doll with mixed emotions. He slowly started to unravel the orange hairs from around its neck and stuffed them into his pocket. The doll was completely useless against him now. Now it felt no different than Kon's plush body. It felt complete.

"Thanks." There was no emotion behind it, but Ichigo felt the need to say it.

"Sure."

X

The next hour just flew by. After making funny faces to the baby, Yuzu went back into the kitchen to cook. With Sashiro's help, it went even faster. Nathan was right. Sashiro was a decent cook and was a big help in the kitchen. The two would make small talk and once in a while go back to see the baby. To their disappointment, the newborn baby couldn't smile very well if at all and mostly stared or fussed at their gestures and faces. Karin came down to see what all the noise was about and discovered that the house was infested with strangers. Yuzu dragged her over to see the baby and introduced everyone. Their father kept trying to get near the child but every time he tried, the baby would cry. He finally took the hint and kept his distance.

"Want to hold him, Ichigo?" The question came from his sisters.

He took a small step back. "I don't think so."

"Oh, it's fine. Go right ahead." Rosalia offered her baby to him.

"No, really, I'm good. Thanks."

"Nonsense." She stood up and ordered his sisters to pull him down into the chair. They forced him down and begged him to do it. Having no say in the matter, Ichigo had to agree. "Here, keep still. I'll hand him to you."

He sat there unmoving as Rosalia gently started to lower her baby into his awaiting arms. His sisters kept giving him tips from either side of his seat.

"Now hold your arms out like this."

"Keep your elbows bent."

"And remember to keep his head up."

"Don't drop him."

"Try to keep your other hand out like a brace on his side. See, like this."

"Rest his head on the inside of your elbow. That's his pillow."

"Don't hold too tight."

"But not too loose either."

"Head up, remember."

Now more nervous than when they started, Ichigo was about ready to drop his arms and run. But he kept still as the baby was transferred over to him. Keeping in mind what his sisters had just told him, Ichigo kept his right arm up to support the baby's head. He felt the little bundle in his arms and heard him coo at the exchange of arms.

He looked down at the baby.

His eyes were looking all around the room, curiously. His tiny body was warm and soft, dressed in little baby clothes and baby gloves. He cooed and turned his head quickly to the right. He had light brown hair with gold highlights. Both his parents had blue eyes and depending on the light, his would change shades. His mother had slightly darker ones than his father. Nathan's were more like the ocean reflecting the sky. He looked like both of them in different ways. The brown hair was the only difference. But then again, if his mother had dark hair and his father had blond hair, it only made sense that when you combine the two it would turn out a brownish color. His definitely had his mother's tender and delicate skin.

The baby turned his way suddenly and looked Ichigo up and down. He made small noises and fanned the air with his arms. He latched onto a button on Ichigo's shirt with his gloved hand and didn't move afterward. Karin helped detach her brother, but upon doing so the baby started to fuss and whine. Ichigo tried bouncing him gently like he had seen many mothers do to comfort their children. It seemed to work for a short time. Then the baby rested his cheek against Ichigo's warm chest and closed his eyes as if ready to sleep.

"Aw, he likes you Ichigo."

"I don't think so, Yuzu. I think he just likes Ichigo's shirt."

"He must be warm. You make a good blanket, Ichigo. Pillow, too."

He smirked as if daring her to say more.

But holding the baby like this reminded Ichigo of when he held his sisters as a child. It was so long ago now that he had nearly forgotten. It brought back memories. He remembered his mother handing him his sisters after asking over and over again to hold them. She had made him sit down just like this. In a way, he kind of missed it.

Then the baby started to fuss again, stretching out and kicking. Ichigo almost lost his grip on the baby, a lot stronger than he had figured. He was a feisty little guy. Ichigo quickly passed him back off to the mother and got up.

"What'd I do? I thought he was all calm and everything."

"He must be hungry." Rosalia sat down in Ichigo's spot.

"Do you have a bottle or.." When he saw her unbutton her shirt, Ichigo quickly figured it out and turned his head away. Nathan was doing the same, but stole quick peeks when he heard either his child or wife make a sound. Ichigo only looked once when Rosalia let out a sharp 'ouch' when the baby gummed her breast hard. He may not have had any teeth, but he could still bite. Nathan and Ichigo enchanged bashful looks.

X

Once the baby was finished feeding, the group went over to the kitchen for lunch. But having so many unexpected guests left little room at the table. So they decided to eat their lunch in the living room together. As they all took their spots, Ichigo expected Nathan to sit on the floor by his feet again like last time. But to his surprise, Nathan chose to sit next to him on the couch, as an equal. This was a big thing for Nathan. To anyone else, it would have looked like no big deal. But actually it was a sign of growth. Before Nathan only saw himself as a servant. Just a trained dog to remain at his master's feet. But now he could sit beside Ichigo, something he could never do before, seeing each other as equals. It wasn't a master-servant relationship nor was it a warrior-weakling relationship. They were equals. They were friends.

They all talked and joked around. Sashiro kept trying to impress Karin in different ways and failing every time. He and Yuzu did manage to find something to talk about, however. They discussed cooking and cleaning techniques. He even gave her a recipe to a dish he remembered from over a hundred years ago. He used to watch the chefs make it all the time and took notes on their culinary skills. She was very impressed and grateful. She couldn't wait to try it out.

Their father gave up on trying to get a positive reaction out of the baby and decided instead to try his luck with the young mistress. He asked her a whole bunch of questions and told her a bunch of things no one really cared to listen to. He also tried to talk to Nathan again. Ichigo had half a mind to hit him and shut him up for good. The baby made a grab for Rosalia's fork as she was eating, almost spilling it. Other than that, he was pretty well-behaved. Ichigo was happy to see growth in her as well. She had matured a little bit. She was going to be a fine mother. She already was from what Ichigo could see.

After lunch, it was time for the baby's nap but wouldn't settle. So his mother started to sing her song to him.

"So soft and gentle your touch,

Like water flowing through my fingers.

My once hard heart is now so warm,

It feels so light and fluttery,

Like a bird in flight…

The gentle touch of your hand in mine,

Is like the touch of fresh rose petals in my palm.

The fire it lights in my heart will never go out,

Nothing can erase the memory of this warmth in my hand,

So let's hold hands."

The baby soon fell asleep after hearing her song snuggled up in her chest. The rest of Ichigo's family really liked her song and were impressed that she could sing so well. She told them that she always sang that song, having made it up when she was a child. She even sang it while pregnant. The baby must have recognized her voice and that song from inside her womb and was calmed by it every time.

As they watched the baby sleep, Yuzu asked the question everyone was dying to know. "So what's the baby's name? Have you named him yet?"

Rosalia smiled. "Yes. We decided to let Sashiro decide."

He puffed out his chest as if it were a great honor.

"So what is it? What his name gonna be?" Karin asked.

Rosalia and Nathan smiled at each other and looked down at their son with pride.

"Caleb Frasier."

* * *

THE END!

I wanted to make it an even 20 chapters but it came up a little short. Better stop it here or it'll drag out more than it needs to. I'm pretty happy with it. What about you guys?

Thank you everyone for reading and wanting a sequel so much ^^ Thanks a lot once again and don't forget to please review! ^-^


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